


The Final Bite

by grlnxtdr29



Series: Bite Trilogy [3]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-16 08:45:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 56,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17546399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grlnxtdr29/pseuds/grlnxtdr29
Summary: Third and final installment of my Bite Trilogy. Now that all of New Directions and many of the Warblers know Kurt's secret, what will life be like for the young immortal? And how does Stephanie spend her Summer back in Canada? More lifemate pairings, more adventures, and more people discover immortals, but can they be trusted? Third Glee/Argeneau crossover! Reviews always welcome!





	1. Life Goes On

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third and last installment of the Bite Trilogy, The Final Bite. A few more people will discover the secrets of the immortals, and we'll meet some new characters along the way. Who knows, maybe we will even find some new lifemate pairings along the way!
> 
> For those familiar with the Argeneau series, this story begins shortly before The Immortal who Loved Me, and will continue through the next several books.
> 
> In this chapter, you'll meet Basileios Argeneau. And the Infamous Leonius rears his ugly head!

Finn and Kurt arrived back home from the last day of school, laughing and joking. Kurt was in a hurry to text Blaine, who was just getting out of his final Warbler's meeting for the year. He was looking down at his phone, so it was Finn who spotted the stranger in their living room first.

The tall man had golden blonde hair and eyes almost the exact same odd glasz shade as Kurt's. The man looked to be around twenty five years old. He was standing beside Burt, and both men had looked at them as they entered. Burt rolled his eyes when Kurt didn't even look up. "Hey bud, too good to say hi to your old man now?"

Kurt glanced up briefly. " Hi Dad, hi Grandpa." He'd looked back down at his phone and taken two steps before the second man's presence registered and he turned back into the living room. "Grandpa Basil? What are you doing here?"

"What, no hug?" Kurt hugged the older immortal. "And this must be Finn. I've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Basileios Argeneau, but most people just call me Basil. I'm Kurt's Grandfather."

Finn shook the man' hand. Grandfather? How was that even possible, when the guy looked way younger than Burt?

Both men laughed, having picked up on the teen's thought. "It's the nanos," Burt explained. "Usually they keep their host looking between twenty five and thirty years old, but for some reason they haven't figured out yet, the nanos inside me didn't make me look younger. I still look closer to forty. I was forty five when I was turned."

"And to answer you, Kurt," Basil said, "I'm escorting Stephanie back to Toronto, along with Teddy and Tricia. I have some business to attend to up that way anyway, and then I'll just stay there until the wedding, or Tricia will have my head. Plus, I haven't seen you in almost three years. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my youngest grandchild is the first to find his lifemate."

Kurt blushed. His grandfather had had a lifemate before the fall of Atlantis, but Acantha died in the volcanic eruption. Basil had been lonely, and wanted children, which he hadn't had with his lifemate. Another immortal and friend of the family, Mary Delacort, had also lost her lifemate, and the two had agreed that they would produce children together, raising them together, until one or the other found another lifemate. Tricia was their third oldest. They both loved the children dearly.

Kurt suddenly felt a little guilty that he had found a lifemate before either of his grandparents. Basil knew what he was thinking, and held the boy tight. "Hey, don't do that! I'm happy for you, Kurt. When it's meant to be, it's meant to be. The nanos never make mistakes. Now I'm assuming that was Blaine you were texting? Why don't you invite him for dinner? I'd like to meet the young man."

…

Stephanie pushed Artie's chair through the park to their favorite spot near the lake, where the weeping willows' branches trailed in the water's edge. Artie carried a picnic basket and a portable CD player with speakers. Neither of them spoke as they set out their food on the small picnic table in the shade of one of the trees.

He could see how upset she was about having to leave him for the summer. He smiled and took her hand, placing a sweet kiss on her palm. "It's just ten weeks, and we'll still see each other. I'll be coming up for Tricia and Teddy's wedding in a few weeks. And I'll be staying for the entire week."

She leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together. "I know. It's just...scary to think of not seeing you every day. I know we'll text and Skype and everything, but it won't be the same."

That week they had spent in Toronto together at spring break had been amazing. When they were awake, they refrained from doing more than holding hands, and chaste kisses on the cheeks. In their shared dreams that week, they had kissed and held each other, but still had never let it go to far. They were both young, they had time for more when they were ready.

Artie smiled and pressed play on the CD player. "I know you should be the one singing this song to me, but I couldn't get it out of my mind."

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go  
I'm standin' here outside your door  
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye  
But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn  
Taxi's waitin', he's blowin his horn  
Already I'm so lonesome I could cry

So kiss me and smile for me  
Tell me that you'll wait for me  
Hold me like you'll never let me go  
And I'm leavin' on a jet plane  
I don't know when I'll be back again  
Oh babe, I hate to go

There's so many times I've let you down  
So many times I've played around  
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing  
Every place I go, I'll think of you  
Every song I sing, I'll sing for you  
When I come back, I'll wear your wedding ring

So kiss me and smile for me  
Tell me that you'll wait for me  
Hold me like you'll never let me go  
And I'm leavin' on a jet plane  
I don't know when I'll be back again  
Oh babe, I hate to go

Now the time has come to leave you  
One more time, now let me kiss you  
Then close your eyes, I'll be on my way  
Dream about the days to come  
When I won't have to leave alone  
About the times, I won't have to say

Kiss me and smile for me  
Tell me that you'll wait for me  
Hold me like you'll never let me go  
And I'm leavin' on a jet plane  
I don't know when I'll be back again  
I'm leavin' on a jet plane  
I don't know when I'll be back again  
But I'm leavin' on a jet plane  
I don't know when I'll be back again  
Oh babe...I hate...to go.

Stephanie smiled, and gently pressed their lips together in their first 'real' kiss. It was sweet, and they both reluctantly pulled back before the lifemate chemistry made them do something they weren't ready for.

"I love you," Artie whispered.

Stephanie's smile was brighter than the afternoon sun. "I love you, too."

They shared one more quick kiss, and then began to eat.

…

Blaine smiled as he shook hands with the much older immortal. "It's nice to meet you, Sir. Kurt has told me so much about you."

"Call me Basil. I may be older than dirt, but you don't have to make me feel it." Blaine laughed.

"Dinner is ready," Kurt said, showing them in to the dining room.

"Something smells delicious!" His lifemate proclaimed as they sat down to eat. Kurt smiled, and kissed his forehead. "I made your favorite lasagna."

Kurt served the food, and Blaine noticed that Basil hadn't taken any thing to eat. The older immortal noticed him looking, and smiled. "Older immortals don't need to eat food, and most of us don't bother, unless we find our lifemates. That tends to reawaken our appetites for food and other things."

Blaine nodded. "How old are you?"

Basil laughed. "I was born about a hundred years before the fall."

Blaine just stared at him in shock. He knew Lucian Argeneau was ancient, but hadn't really thought about Kurt's grandparents being so old. Kurt had said his mother was just over six hundred years old when she had died. Blaine had assumed that his lifemate's grandparents were younger.

Kurt reached over and patted the boy on the back. "Other than Bricker, who is barely a hundred and still eats, you are the first unmated immortal Blaine has met."

His grandfather smiled. "Actually I think he's more shocked by my age than the fact that I don't eat. But don't let that stop you from enjoying your food, young man. Kurt worked really hard on this meal. It does smell good. He said he got the recipe from your mother."

Blaine mentally shook himself, and smiled. "Yes, Kurt is an excellent cook. I can't imagine him ever not wanting to eat."

"Well, now that he has you, that probably won't happen for a very long time," Burt chimed in, smiling.

The conversation switched to music. It was Finn who asked about what music was like in Atlantis.

"We had all kinds of music in Atlantis, though nothing like your modern music. Most of our music was organic." At Finn's confused expression, he explained. "We imitated the sounds of nature. Wind blowing between reeds, birds calling, the sound of water cascading down the rocks. We learned to put them all together to make melodies. After time, we added percussion, and then stringed instruments. It wasn't until a couple hundred years before the fall that we started adding lyrics."

"Do you remember any of the songs?" Blaine asked.

Basileios thought for a few moments, and then began humming a tune softly, and then sang a few lines.

Night winds blow

stars shine bright

the wine flows sweet

but nothing compares

when our eyes meet

Kurt smiled. "Ramses wrote that!"

"Who is Ramses?" Finn asked.

"He was my Father," Basil replied. "He and my Mother, Alexandria, survived Atlantis, but died in Pompeii, when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. And you are right, Kurt. My father wrote that for mother on their wedding day."

They finished dinner, and then moved to sit in the living room and talk for a while. Basil smiled at the boys. "So, I have some news for all three of you. As you know, I'm a lawyer, and I handle a lot of legal issues for the Argeneau family. Finn, though you are mortal, you are now a part of the Argeneau family. As such, I've been asked to set up a trust fund for you, and you own one share of Argeneau, Inc."

"What exactly does that mean?" The tall teen asked.

Kurt smiled at him. "It means you never have to worry about money. You can go to any college you choose. And if you and Rachel remain together, you'll be able to spoil her the way her Dads have."

"Oh," Finn replied. He seemed to be lost in thought for a while. Basil turned to Kurt and Blaine.

"As for you two, Kurt, since you have found your lifemate, you now hold four shares of Argeneau, Inc, and Blaine holds one share. And Blaine, I've also set up a trust fund for you. You can access a portion of your funds when ever you need, but full access won't be given until your hundredth birthday, which is the same arrangement Kurt's mother made for him. Finn, you will have full access when you turn twenty five."

Blaine and Finn were both surprised by this news, although Kurt seemed to take it for granted.

"You okay, sweetie?" Kurt asked his boyfriend.

Blaine blinked and looked at him, and then smiled. "Oh, uh, yeah, I guess I just never thought about the money. I mean, I already have a trust fund from my grandparents, and my parents aren't poor by any stretch of the word."

"Does it make you uncomfortable to take money from my family?"

Blaine sighed. "It's not that. Not really, anyway. It just still surprises me that you have so much more money than me, when you live here in Lima, in this beautiful but modest home. Why don't you guys live in New York, or LA?"

Burt was the one who answered him. "That's partly my doing. I grew up an orphan in a small village near Auschwitz. I never had a lot of money, and those people I knew who did have money were mean and cruel. I worked hard to earn enough money just to get by on. When I met Elizabeth, she was working as a rogue hunter, undercover, pretending to be a nurse."

Carole smiled and took his hand. He'd told her this story. "When I learned that she came from a wealthy family, I didn't want anything to do with them at first. She didn't mind. We were lifemates, and she would be happy living with me in a tree house in the jungle if that was what I wanted. It wasn't until we'd been together about thirty years that I began to feel comfortable around the rest of her family, but I still didn't feel right taking money from them. So we compromised. We'd live quietly, in a small town, have a family of our own, and save the money from her family for some day in the future when we really needed it. We will live a very long time, after all."

Burt had to look away when he spoke the last line.

…

Stephanie was bored. She'd been back in Canada for a week now, and all she'd done since getting here was help Tricia and Drina with wedding plans. Tricia's wedding was a week away, while Drina's was two weeks after that. She was sitting in a bridal shop in Toronto while Tricia helped Drina try on dresses. Tricia had already decided on hers.

The two older women were busy oohing and ahhing over gowns. The teen decided to text her lifemate while she waited, but realized she'd left her phone plugged in to the stereo in Tricia's car. She and Artie had texted everyday since she'd left Lima. She glanced at the two women. They were still preoccupied.

Neither of them would notice if she went out to the car. It wouldn't take her more than a minute, two at the tops. She'd be back before either woman noticed. She slipped out to the car, and had just reached for the door handle when she saw something that made her heart stop.

Across the street and down the block, five men were walking in her direction. None of them noticed her, but she froze like a dear in a headlight. The men all had dirty blonde hair, and not the color dirty blonde, but blonde hair that was grimy, oily, nasty. She recognized the man in the front of the group, and while she didn't recognize the others, she knew who they were.

Leonius Leviticus was the man who had kidnapped her and Dani, and the others were obviously more of his sons.

Just as she was about to duck out of sight, the man from her nightmares turned his head as if he could feel her fear, and looked directly at her.

He smiled.


	2. Distractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie's tormentor has returned! Will she escape the rogue a second time? Also in this chapter, someone else discovers the boys' secret! Who will it be, and how will they react? Are Sherry and Basil just ingredients in a tasty salad dressing? Oh, and Niff!

Pamela Anderson was intelligent, well spoken, welcoming, and at times, a she bear. Their first night in Florida, she had put a homophobic tourist in his place when he'd made a crude comment about Kurt and Blaine holding hands. Kurt was in love with her.

"I just hope you two live long enough to see a world were people are guided by love rather than hate. It's getting there, slowly but surely!" She smiled at them, and they returned her smile, and then shared a meaningful look, trying not to giggle. If she only knew.

Kurt and Blaine were sharing a room, and each morning and evening, they doubled their blood intake so they wouldn't need to sneak back to their room mid day to feed again. Fortunately, the hotel they were staying at was part of the network of hotels owned and operated by immortals, and one of the amenities was discreet blood deliveries. Kurt had made certain the hotel knew that they were traveling with a non initiated mortal (meaning one who did not know of their existence.) So far things had gone smoothly, and Pam remained blissfully unaware of her son's new nature.

It was their next to last day in Orlando, and Blaine and Kurt were planning on making the most of it. They woke up early, and planned to take advantage of the early opening for Disney MGM Studios to be among the first on The Great Movie Ride and The Back Lot Tour. They were both dressed and having their first bag of blood, when there was a light knock on the door, and then the click of the lock release. Blaine's mother had insisted on having a spare room key card for the boys' room.

"Blaine, Kurt, I'm sorry, I'm not gonna be able to join...What on Earth?" She spotted the boys sitting on the bed, each of them with a bag of blood affixed to their teeth, eyes staring at her wide with guilt and surprise.

Kurt had the presence of mind to slip into her mind and make certain she didn't panic. He stood and closed the door behind her and pulled her towards the second bed, just as he finished his bag of blood.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Anderson, this probably wasn't the best way for you to find out. If you promise to remain calm, Blaine and I will explain everything." Kurt smiled reassuringly at her as Blaine finished and pulled the empty bag from his mouth.

"It's okay, Mom, really. Kurt's family originated in the ancient city of Atlantis. The people there were scientifically far more advanced than we are even now. One of their scientists invented nanos that could be injected into a person to heal them and keep them at peek health. The nanos make them virtually immortal. But they need blood to survive. They only feed on bagged blood, though, except in emergencies or the rare case were an immortal can't live off bagged blood."

Kurt was monitoring the older woman's reaction, and was surprised at how calm she was. "Blaine is my lifemate, which is something very special among my people. It's so much more than a spouse or lover. Lifemates complete each other. Back in February, a rogue kidnapped Blaine. Rogues are immortals who break our laws. This rogue, Jeremiah, almost killed Blaine. I gave Blaine my blood to save his life, and make him immortal like me. I love your son very much, and I hope you know I would never harm him, or anyone else, unless they were a threat to me or those I care for."

Pam looked from him to her son, and back again. She smiled sweetly. "I knew there was something special about you, the way my son talked about you. I can see the love you have inside you both. I'm happy you found each other. And Kurt, sweetie? If you ever make my son unhappy, no matter what, I will make you regret it, even if I have to come back from the dead to do it!"

The three of them laughed and hugged. "Thanks mom!" Blaine kissed her forehead. "Now what were you saying when you came in?"

"Oh, I was going to say I won't be able to join you two at the parks today. One of my clients had an emergency last night." Blaine's mother was a well known wedding planner (another reason Kurt loved her,) who specialized in destination weddings. "I'll be driving down to Miami this morning to help sort things out. I'll be back late tonight."

Kurt smiled at her. "Emergency? Anything we can help with?"

She smiled in return. "The bride's stepmother is being a pain in the ass Diva who is trying to make everything about her. This is the bride's father's sixth, wife, by the way. The wedding isn't for another three weeks, but the stepmother is making a big stink over the dresses, and wants to wear white to the ceremony."

Kurt laughed. "Thank goodness my stepmother is a sweetheart. Carole would never pull anything like that."

She hugged the boys, and left. Blaine watched her go, a goofy grin on his face. "She's an amazing mom."

Kurt leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Yes, she is."

They had a couple more bags of blood each, and were about to head out to catch the monorail, when Kurt's phone rang. He frowned down at it.

"Stephanie? What's wrong? What! Are you okay? Yeah, have you called Artie? Okay, that's good. Wait, back up, who is Sherry? His lifemate! Really? Yeah, I'm happy for him! Okay, call me when you get to Port Henry, sweetie! Bye!"

Blaine looked confused. His hearing still wasn't as good as Kurt's, but he had heard some of the other side of the conversation. "Leonius spotted Stephanie in Toronto?"

Kurt nodded. "She's okay, a little shaken up, but she managed to avoid being taken again. Unfortunately he followed her into this kitchen supply store, and held some mortals hostage briefly. He made one of them cut herself, but fortunately the rogue hunters arrived in time to save her. Leonius and his sons escaped and are still on the loose. And it turns out that the lady who owns the store is my grandfather's lifemate! Her name is Sherry."

Blaine couldn't hold back his giggle. "Sherry and Basil? Sounds like ingredients for a salad dressing!"

Kurt rolled his eyes, but smiled. He couldn't wait to meet the woman. They finally left the hotel room, and just made it to the monorail station in time.

…

Nick had a problem. His problem was just shy of six feet tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Ever since the incident with his homophobic grandparents and the rogue, Jeff had been a bit over protective of him. He loved the boy, they were lifemates, but the boy was beginning to drive him a little nuts.

In the week since school had let out for the summer, the blonde had called him every hour, night and day, just to ask if he was okay. Jeff was in Canada, visiting relatives. He was supposed to return in three days. Nick hoped that once they were back together, the other boy would settle down and go back to being the carefree boy he fell in love with. Maybe he could find some way to distract the boy from his worries.

He lay on his bed, thinking about possible ways to relieve his boyfriend's anxiety. He knew Blaine and Kurt would be back from Florida tomorrow, too. Maybe they could all do something fun together. Maybe he could get Kurt to do that mind trick on Jeff to make him stop worrying so much.

…

Finn sat on the couch in the living room, staring down at the figures displayed on his laptop, his brow furrowed, not sure he comprehended what he was seeing. He was still sitting there when Carole returned from grocery shopping an hour later. She smiled when she saw him.

"Hey, sweetie. Whatcha doing?"

Finn looked up at his mom. "Kurt's grandfather emailed me the information to access my trust fund. I was just checking it out. I think there must be a mistake, though."

"What do you mean? Is it short or something?" She walked over to look at the screen.

"Not, short, no. But this amount can't possibly be right. There are too many zeros."

Carole looked at the amount showed. There were nine digits, plus the decimal point and two more zeros. "A hundred and fifty million dollars?"

Burt came through the door just then, and she turned to look at him. "Burt, you might want to look at this. There must be a mistake."

The older Hummel male glanced over the back of the couch at the account information. "Looks correct to me. I told Basil set up the account exactly the same as Elizabeth had set up Kurt's. Of course you won't be able to with drawl all of it at once. Like Kurt you are limited to one million a year until you reach your majority, which in your case is twenty five. Kurt will have to wait until he's one hundred. Your yearly dividend from your share in Argeneau Inc will be added to that, as well."

Carole and Finn just stared at him for a moment. "You gave my son a hundred and fifty million dollars?" Carole's voice sounded faint.

"Yeah. Basil is still working on your allotment as well. It's taking a little longer because we still haven't combined our banks yet. He was supposed to remind me to have you transfer your account to my bank and open a joint account so that you can access the funds straight from my bank. I keep forgetting because you always just ask me for money when you need it, and you don't ask very often. And once your name is on the account, I can get you your own credit card, too."

"Just how much money do you have in your account?" She asked.

"I'm not sure, Kurt usually keeps the books for me. Something like seven hundred point five, I think?"

"Seven hundred point five million?"

"Uh, billion, actually. Carole, honey, are you okay? Carole!" He caught his lifemate as she passed out, and gently lay her down on the couch. "Um, I guess I should have told her that before she married me?"


	3. Facing Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How many boys does it take to kill a spider?

Leonius was dead.

Stephanie couldn't comprehend what was happening. Though she hadn't seen him in so long, Leonius had been a huge part of her life for the last two years, and now he was dead. She was free. He no longer loomed around every corner. He no longer dictated where she could go, and who she could talk to. He was no longer a threat to her family.

She could go home.

She could see her mom and dad. She could see her brothers and sisters.

What about Artie? What if her parents wouldn't let her return to Lima for the next school year?

"Stephanie?" She heard the voice call out, but at first it didn't register. She turned and looked up at her sister.

"Dani? I don't know what to do! What do I do now, Dani? I-I'm so confused. What am I supposed to do now?" She broke down and started crying in her sister's arms. "I don't know what to do."

…

The shriek was high pitched, and loud enough to wake the dead. Finn wasn't dead, but he had been sound asleep. He tumbled off his bed, landing hard with an umph! He struggled up and ran down the stairs to the kitchen, where the shrieking was still coming from.

What was going on? Had a rogue invaded their house? He knew all about rogues now. He didn't know what he could do if it was a rogue, but he had to try. He grabbed his baseball bat from beside the door before racing into the kitchen. And stopped in his tracks.

Kurt was standing on the counter, screaming and pointing at something on the floor.

"Kurt? What's going on?" Finn asked, confused.

"S-sp-spider! Huge freaking spider!" Another shriek emanated from him as the spider in question moved towards the counter the boy was perched on. Finn looked at him as if he was insane.

"You're immortal, and you are making this big of a fuss over a tiny little spider?" Finn said, moving around the counter to look at the offending creature.

"Don't laugh at me! Just kill the eight legged freak of nature!" Kurt sounded more like his bitchy diva self now that there was someone else there to deal with the matter. Finn sighed and moved towards the large wolf spider, intent on smashing the thing, but backed up with a screech himself as the fuzzy, gray, alien looking creature turned and advanced on him.

The taller teen jumped up on the counter beside Kurt, pulling his feet up to his chest. "Dude, that thing is friggin' huge!"

They both shrieked again as the thing reared back and raised it's two front appendages.

"Kurt?" The voice came from the hallway a fraction of a second before Blaine, Nick and Jeff stormed into the room. The two boys on the counter screamed again.

"Kill it! Oh Gaga, please just kill it!" Kurt sobbed. The other three boys came around the counter to see what had the other two cringing in fear.

Jeff's screech was even higher pitched than Kurt's had been as the blonde jumped up on the counter, which now was getting crowded. Nick blanched at the sight of the large arachnid, and backed away babbling. Blaine looked around at the other four boys, unable to contain his mirth at their reactions.

"It's just a wolf spider!" He laughed and took a step towards it, ready to step on it, when suddenly it lunged at him. The dark haired boy yelped and jumped back, ending up sitting in the kitchen sink. "What the hell, that thing is a freak!"

"What is going on here?" Carole asked, coming in from the garage with an arm load of groceries. "Why are you all on the counter? And Blaine, why are you in the sink?"

As she spoke, she walked towards the refrigerator to unload the bags she was carrying, unknowingly stepping on the spider as she went. The loud, sickening crunch had all the boys sighing in relief. The woman looked at the five boys in confusion. "Please tell me they didn't send us the wrong blood, and you all are stoned on High Times or what ever it's called?"

Finn gagged. "Eww! Besides, I don't drink blood. There was a huge mutant spider menacing us. You just stepped on it, see?"

She looked down at the crushed body on the floor, and then at each of the boys. "You're kidding me, right? All this fuss over a spider?" She rolled her eyes, and grabbed a paper towel to pick up the remains and throw them in the trash before going back out to the garage to get the rest of the groceries. The five boys looked at each other sheepishly, and went to help her.

After the groceries were put away and Kurt had disinfected the counter and sink, and mopped the floor to rid it of any trace of the bane of their existence, they had each gotten a drink and a snack and gone out to sit in the living room. "So, um, Kurt, you're afraid of spiders too?" Nick asked.

The pale boy shuddered. "There is no reason any creature on this planet should have more than four legs. It's unnatural!"

Finn looked up at that. "But you have those nano things inside you. You have to admit, that's not exactly natural either."

Kurt shrugged. He could have been offended by the other boy's remark, but knew Finn didn't mean it the way it had sounded. "I was born with them. They're natural to me."

"So, have you ever thought about asking one of the older immortals to mask your fear of spiders?" Nick asked. Kurt studied the other boy, and knew what he was getting at.

"I suppose I could have them lesson it, at least until I can work on getting over the fear altogether. Some fear is good, though. Fear keeps us from doing stupid things. Too much fear, though, can keep us from some of the best experiences of our lives."

Jeff looked over at his lifemate. "I know what you are thinking, even though I can't read your mind. I have been so afraid ever since spring break. I just hate the idea of you going through what you did. I'm afraid something else is going to happen to you."

Nick smiled and took his hand, kissing the knuckle. "I worry about you, too. You could walk out the door tomorrow and get beheaded by a bus. So should I keep you locked away in a tower to keep you safe?"

Jeff sighed. "I'm sorry if I've been smothering you. I didn't mean to. I love you."

"I love you, too!" They kissed each other. The other boys had to clear their throats loudly to break them up. They all laughed.

Nick glanced up at them. "So, when are you guys leaving for Toronto?"

Kurt leaned against Blaine's shoulder. "Day after tomorrow. We'll stay for the wedding, and then Blaine has to spend a week with his dad, and then he'll fly back up for Drina's wedding and the family reunion, which you two are coming to, by the way. All of New Directions will be there, too, to meet more of my family."

Finn looked a bit worried. "How do you do it?"

Kurt looked at him. "Do what?"

"Remember the names of so many relatives? I have six cousins, and I can never remember their names or how old they are. You have a huge family, and even though they are spread all over, and there are some you've never met, you remember all the names."

"They're your family now too, Finn. We're all family here in this room right now. Jeff is Stephanie's cousin, which makes him family to me through Decker. And Nick is his lifemate, so that makes him family too. And of course Blaine is my lifemate, which sort of makes him your stepbrother in law."

Finn looked like he might pass out. "I'm not sure I'm ready for all of this."

"Finn, if you are anxious about meeting the rest of the family, I can help ease your mind. They will accept you no matter what. That's what families do."

Finn smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Okay, so I'm arachnophobic, and today at work, I was finishing up my shift, and there's a commotion behind me, so I naturally turn around to see what's up, only to see this giant spider crawling straight towards me on the counter, and five of my coworkers all trying to kill it, but missing it. Yeah, my coworkers learned that I can't scream. My throat constricts and chokes off the sound and it comes out as a high pitched croak. While they are sitting there making fun of me, the damn spider escaped, and now I have to go back to work tomorrow and not only face them laughing at me, but not knowing when the eight legged freak of nature will return...Oh, joy!


	4. Unions and Reunions, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had to split this chapter into three, because it was getting too long. You'll get to meet more of Kurt's relatives over the next few chapters. Some of them I've mentioned before, but we didn't get to learn much about them. You'll learn a lot more. I'll also be introducing a couple of original characters. They are cannon in the Argeneau series, but were never named. They are siblings of Eshe d'Aureus, Armand's lifemate.
> 
> Julianna and Victoria were mentioned in A Quick Bite, book 1 of the Argeneau Series.

"Her dress is absolutely gorgeous!" Kurt whispered softly to his lifemate, though nearly everyone present could hear him clearly, even over the traditional Wedding March. The bride smiled sweetly at him as she passed, but her eyes never left the man standing at the alter. The ceremony was beautiful, even if one of the bridesmaids seemed a little distracted. Kurt could see that Stephanie was still conflicted about her future now that Leonius was dead.

At the reception, he and Blaine sat with Artie and a few of Kurt's younger relatives. Of course with immortals, 'younger' was a misnomer. The twins, Julianna and Victoria, were in their mid twenties, while the others ranged in age from fifty-three to seventy-five. Stephanie sat at the main table with the wedding party, as did Livy, the flower girl.

The five youngest tablemates fell into conversation rather easily. The twins were fascinated by the fact that Kurt had found his lifemate so young, and had bombarded them with questions. They were also intrigued that Artie was a lifemate, but hadn't been turned. Kurt had to distract the other boy when Victoria had almost mentioned the nanos making him walk again. The young woman looked contrite once she realized the situation, and they changed the topic to music.

After the meal and the speeches, Kurt excused himself from the table and went to the stage. "Ladies and gentleman, sharing their first dance as husband and wife, may I present Theodore and Katricia Argeneau-Brunswick." There was polite applause as the couple took the floor, and music began to play. Kurt smiled and began to sing, the song specially requested by the groom.

Some say love, it is a river  
That drowns the tender reed.  
Some say love, it is a razor  
That leaves your soul to bleed.  
Some say love, it is a hunger,  
An endless aching need.  
I say love, it is a flower,  
And you its only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking  
That never learns to dance.  
It's the dream afraid of waking  
That never takes the chance.  
It's the one who won't be taken,  
Who cannot seem to give,  
And the soul afraid of dyin'  
That never learns to live.

Kurt smiled at the couple, knowing how appropriate the song was for both of them. Teddy had been the same age as Kurt when he'd been too afraid to ask a girl to a dance, watched her go with one of his best friends, saw her fall in love, marry, and have a child and saw her grieve when her first love and only child died. And then saw her fall in love again with someone else who would become his friend in time.

Katricia had waited two thousand years to find her lifemate, and had nearly given up hope of ever finding him. But fate, a snow storm, and a little nudge from Aunt Marguerite finally brought the two of them together. And a hungry bear, but that was a story for another time. The couple grinned at him as he sang the last verse.

When the night has been too lonely  
And the road has been too long,  
And you think that love is only  
For the lucky and the strong,  
Just remember in the winter  
Far beneath the bitter snows  
Lies the seed that with the sun's love  
In the spring becomes the rose.

After that, the real dancing began, and everyone had a wonderful time, the party lasted late into the night.

…

The day after Teddy and Tricia's wedding, Stephanie sat in an SUV across the street from a quaint little house, watching as a woman planted flowers, while a man and two young men mowed and raked. Two young women were washing a car, spraying more water on each other than the vehicle.

"Tomorrow is my birthday. Did I tell you that?" She asked Artie, who was sitting beside her in the middle seat. Kurt and Blaine were in the driver's and front passenger's seat respectively, while Dani and Decker where in another SUV parked behind them. "I'll be seventeen."

Artie smiled and kissed her knuckles. "Are you ready for this?"

"I don't know. Let's just do this, okay?" The side door opened, and Dani smiled at her.

"Come on, Steph. It won't be so bad. You'll see. Decker explained to me exactly what Lucian did to their memories. As soon as one of us speaks to them, they'll remember us, and won't remember that they haven't heard from us in almost two years. They think you moved in with me so you could go to a better school. Decker will alter their memory a little to make them think that Decker and I live in Ohio now, with you, because you wanted to go to a school that had a competitive show choir that had more than a passing chance of going to Nationals."

Decker took her hand and smiled at her as well. "I promise everything will work out."

They helped Artie out of the SUV and into his wheelchair as Kurt and Blaine exited the vehicle as well. The six then quietly approached the family. Stephanie couldn't help noticing how different they all looked. Dani was the oldest of the siblings at thirty-two, and Stephanie was the youngest. The other four ranged in age from nineteen to twenty-seven. Her brothers no longer looked like teenagers, but were now fully grown men. And her other sisters had matured as well.

Her eyes moved to the woman kneel near the mailbox as she planted geraniums. Where the woman's hair had been dark blonde, Stephanie could now see streaks of gray that hadn't been there before. They had all gotten older. Even her dad had more laugh lines than she remembered. Should she speak? They had gone on with their lives, not exactly forgetting their other two family members, just not thinking about them. They could live the rest of their lives happy, and never really wonder what became of the two McGill girls.

The woman glanced up at them with no hint of recognition in her eyes, but still gave them a warm, friendly smile. It was now or never. "Hi, Mom."

The woman's eyes lost focus for a moment, and then the smile grew brighter. "Stephanie! You're early! We weren't expecting you until tomorrow, on your birthday! And when did you die your hair red?"

"I missed you, Mom" She hugged the older woman tight.

Dani smiled and greeted her mother too, also embracing her. The others glanced over, at first confused by the two unfamiliar girls embracing the woman, but when they heard the young women speak, all confusion was swept away, and they all hugged the wayward McGill girls. Decker had slipped into their minds and implanted memories of a wedding between him and Dani, with the unfortunate event of the wedding photographer being inept and ruining all of their wedding pictures.

Stephanie shyly introduced Artie as her boyfriend, and Decker introduced Kurt and Blaine. Yard work and soapy cars were forgotten as they all went inside for lemonade and cookies.

It felt good to be home, but at the same time, it no longer really felt like home. She'd gone upstairs to her old room, which looked exactly like it had when she left it two years ago. Mr. Jingles, hear worn out teddy bear still sat on her pillow, arms wide open in welcome, waiting for her return. She picked him up and hugged him tight, as tears began to trickle down her face.

"Hey," Kurt said when he found her a few minutes later, pulling her into a hug. "It's alright to cry. But now you can see them when ever you want. You can call them every night and talk about your day. They can still be a part of your life."

Stephanie sniffled. "But only until they notice I've stopped aging in about fifteen years. What then?"

Kurt produced a tissues seemingly out of thin air, though actually she knew it had come from the packet in his pocket. "Then you stay in contact by telephone, and learn the ancient art of writing letters. And then after a while, you comeback as your granddaughter."

"They'll grow old and die, and I'll be alone again."

"Oh honey, you've never been alone." He hugged her again. "You have Elvi and Victor, Drina and Harper, Teddy and Tricia, and just about every Argeneau on the planet. You have Dani and Decker, Jeff and Nick, me, Blaine. And you have Artie. And one day you'll have children of your own, and grandchildren, and great grandchildren. And between you and their Uncle Kurt, every single one of them will have fashion sense to die for!"

She finally laughed, but quickly sobered. "You know I can't have kids. I'm endentate. Any child I had would be at risk of becoming no-fanger."

"Bastien and the scientist who are working for him will figure that out and fix it. It's just a matter of time, sweetie. And if there is one thing we have plenty of, it's time."

She smiled and hugged him back. "Thanks, Kurt. How did someone so young and fabulous get so wise?"

Kurt just laughed and hugged her again, before guiding her back downstairs to discuss birthday plans with her family.

…

Blaine sighed as he finished packing his single suitcase for the week with his dad. He so was not looking forward to this. Kurt smiled at him from where he lay sprawled on the bed. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? Between the two of us, I think we could change your dad's mind about you being gay."

Blaine smiled back weakly. "As much as the thought appeals to me, I want him to accept me on his own. If he can't accept me without being influenced to, then I don't need him in my life. It's not like I need him or his money. All I need is you."

Kurt sat up and kissed him, making sure to pull away before they could lose control. The lifemate bond between them was strong, and the shared pleasure often overwhelmed their teenage bodies, but they were still virgins, at least outside of their shared dreams. During their waking hours, they always passed out before they got past grouping and grinding, the pleasure too much for them.

"Bastien has made arrangements for blood to be discreetly delivered to your dad's house twice a day. Amani d'Aureus will bring it at five AM and ten PM every day, and take the empty bags away. He'll meet you at the back gate, since you said there are no neighbors on that side. You have his phone number in your contacts if there is an emergency, as well as Bastien's. And you can call me any time, night or day, no matter what."

Blaine smiled for real this time, and quickly kissed him again. "I love you."

Kurt hugged him. "I love you, too. And no matter what happens with your dad, remember there are so many people here who love you and accept you exactly as you are."

Blaine smiled and held his lifemate tight, knowing the taller boy was right. His mother had accepted him, fangs and all. And all of Kurt's family welcomed him as if he'd been born into it. He would not let the opinion of one person bring him down. Kurt carried the suitcase as they walked down the stairs to where one of the Argeneau's cars was waiting to drive Blaine to the airport.

They shared one more kiss, and then Blaine slipped into the car. Kurt watched it drive out of sight, already missing the other boy.


	5. Unions and Reunions, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Argeneaus (sort of), more emotional reunions, and Blaine's dad! Once again, this chapter grew larger than expected, so I ended up breaking it into three chapters.

Blaine sat in the back of the limo, staring out at his father's sprawling house, a sense of foreboding filling him. Why had his dad wanted to bring him to this house? Why not the condo in Chicago, as usual? Blaine wasn't very fond of this house. It was where his dad had given him 'The Talk,' and where he had come out.

"Mr. Anderson?" the driver asked, worriedly.

Blaine blinked and smiled at the older man. "Sorry, lost in thought. Thank you, Charles." He slipped out of the car and took the suitcase the man held out for him.

The chauffeur smiled kindly at him. "Mr. Hummel and his aunt made it clear that if at anytime you feel uncomfortable here, and wish to leave, all you have to do is call me. The plane will be at your disposal."

Blaine smiled again, more warmly this time. "Thanks."

Taking a deep breath, he walked to the front door and let himself in. He set his suitcase down, looking around the front hall. Nothing had changed as far as he could tell. Framed photographs lined the wall on one side, leading to the staircase and going up to the landing. Each one showed his brother, Cooper, starting from when he was newborn, all the way up until he graduated high school. Some of them were posed portraits, some more candid shots of his brother and their dad, playing baseball, tossing a football, wrestling in the backyard.

Then there was a picture of Cooper holding a squirming baby Blaine on the front porch. No other pictures of Blaine were displayed in this part of the house.

A noise from behind him caught his attention, and he turned to see his Dad coming down the stairs. The older man stopped when he saw Blaine standing there. "Blaine? How did you get here? I was just about to go to the airport to pick you up. Did your flight get in early? I could have sworn the flight from Columbus didn't get in for another hour and a half."

"I didn't fly in from Columbus. I was in Toronto, Canada." Blaine answered, stiffly.

"Canada? What were you doing in Canada?"

"I was invited to a wedding there."

"A wedding? Whose? One of you mom's clients? Why'd they invite you?"

Blaine cleared his throat, knowing that what he was about to say would set the tone for the visit. "My boyfriend's aunt got married, and invited Kurt and me."

The older male frowned. "Boyfriend? You can't still think you are gay, Blaine! This has gone far enough! Damn it, you're mother has coddled you so much, letting you get away with so much crap! Besides, the boy is probably just after your trust fund! Filthy gold digging..."

"STOP!" Blaine shouted. "Kurt is not after my money! He has no need for it. He has way more money than I do, and he doesn't care about it. We could both be poor as church mice, and he would still love me. If you are going to spend my entire visit trying to make me straight, or bad mouthing mom and my boyfriend, then I will just leave now." He turned around and picked up his suitcase and reached for the door handle.

"Blaine, wait! Okay, fine. We won't talk about it. Just stay the weekend, and then you can go back to your boyfriend." He almost spat the last word. Blaine knew his dad hadn't given up. He could see a calculating look in the older man's eyes. He knew the man was plotting something, but he was too tired to try and read the old man's mind and find out what. What ever it was, Blaine could deal with it, and then go back to Kurt, and never have to see his dad again.

…

Kurt sat in Aunt Marguerite's kitchen, drinking tea with Julianna, Victoria, and Aunt Marguerite. He wasn't really paying much attention to the conversation, worrying about Blaine. His lifemate had texted him the night before to say he had arrived safe, that his dad threw a fit when Blaine had mentioned having a boyfriend, and that he'd pretended to go to bed early, claiming jet lag.

They had texted back and forth for a while, and he had finally admitted to Kurt that his dad had called Kurt a gold digger. Kurt snorted, and had sent a teasing message back. Blaine had text back an LOL, but by then he really was tired, and decided to take a nap before his first blood delivery.

"Kurt?" His aunt asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He blinked and looked at her. "Sorry, I was just thinking about..."

"Blaine, we know, darling. You were broadcasting your worry for him fairly loudly. Do you think he is danger from his father?"

Kurt shook his head. "I don't think he'd physically hurt him, but emotionally, I don't know. The man thinks Blaine is choosing to be gay, and refuses to accept it. He wants to make the gay go away."

His twin cousins looked at him sympathetically. "We're sorry, love," Julianna said, giving him a little hug.

Victoria hugged him from the other side as well. "People can't help who they fall in love with, especially immortals."

Julianna nodded. "I can't wait to find my lifemate, and I really don't care if they are a he or a she. All that matters is that they were meant just for me!"

Kurt smiled at his cousins, hugging them back. "Thanks, girls." He glanced at the clock. "I'm late! I'm supposed to meet Stephanie and Artie for lunch. I'm sorry I was such lousy company."

Aunt Marguerite hugged him. "Nonsense, there is no need to apologize. We understand, Kurt. Give Stephanie and Arthur my love!"

…

Saturday morning, Blaine stood by the back gate shortly before five, waiting for Amani to bring his delivery. He'd liked the much older immortal almost instantly, as the man had been humming a Katy Perry tune as he'd approached the night before. They had sat and listened to music for a while and talked about parents and siblings. Amani was the youngest sibling of Eshe d'Aureus, and often felt like he had failed to live up to everyone's expectations of him. His father had been a great warrior, a legend among their people, and his sister a fierce rogue hunter. His other brothers and sisters had all made a name for themselves among their kind, either as fighters or scientists working with Bastien Argeneau, while Amani had found interest in art.

Over the millennia, a few of his pieces had graced various palaces and the homes of a few noblemen, but he had never really made a name for himself. His lack of a lifemate had stilted his creativity, and he'd lost interest over time. He'd felt aimless for a long time.

Blaine heard the male approaching the gate, and slipped out to meet him, smiling when he saw the dark skinned immortal. After he fed, the two talked again, about music and art.

When Blaine returned to the house sometime later, he was surprised to find his dad awake, sitting in the kitchen.

"Where have you been?" The older man asked.

Blaine shrugged. "I went for a walk."

"Well, stick close to home today. I have a surprise for you this evening."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "What is it this time? More macho male bonding attempts?"

"No, more like an early birthday gift. I have to go to the office today, but I'll be back around six." And with that the older man exited the kitchen, leaving Blaine to wonder what the man was up to.

…

Kurt had just finished eating dinner when the sound of Teenage Dream chimed from his pocket. He retrieved his cell phone and smiled as he answered the phone.

"Blaine! How are things going with your dad?"

"Maybe you should ask the cop who is arguing with him right now."

"Oh Gaga! What happened?" Kurt said, slipping in to his guest room. He, Burt, Carole and Finn were all staying at Harper's penthouse again.

Blaine snorted derisively. "He decided to throw me an early birthday party, tried to get me drunk, and paid some girls to try and seduce me."

"What? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said, sounding a little calmer. "Charles will be here with the limo soon to take me to the airport. After one of the girls got cold feet and called the police, they called my mom and she told them to let me fly back to Canada, that a plane was on standby for me. Amani is flying back with me, since he doesn't need to stay here and act as my delivery man anymore."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Shall I wait up for you?"

"No, it will be around two AM when I get back. Get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning. Love you."

"I love you too. See you soon."

Kurt ended the call, frowning. He knew how lucky he was to have a family that loved him no matter what, and a dad that cared about him so much. It physically hurt him to think that his lifemate was in distress because his father couldn't accept him for himself.

A small smile spread as an idea formed in his mind, a way to show Blaine just how much he was loved and cared for.

…

It was closer to three AM when Blaine arrived at the penthouse. Burt met him in the foyer with a hug and a cup of hot chocolate. "Rough day, kiddo?"

Blaine smiled and set his suitcase beside the couch as he sat down. "I've had worse. At least I didn't get kidnapped by a rogue."

Burt laughed, glad the boy could joke about the experience now. Blaine sipped the hot chocolate. "Thanks, Mr. Hummel, but you didn't have to wait up for me."

"None of that Mr. Hummel crap. Call me Burt. I know it's too soon, but I hope one day you'll feel comfortable enough to call me dad. I know you haven't had the best experience with father figures, but I hope you know I'm here for you if you ever need to talk."

Blaine grinned and hugged the older man. "Thanks. And I think I'd like to call you dad some day."

Burt held him for a moment, then patted him on the back. "Take your hot chocolate down to your room. I think Kurt is waiting for you." The older immortal waved good night, and Blaine watched him walk down the opposite hall to where his lifemate was waiting for him.

Blaine made his way to the room he and Kurt had shared the last time they had visited Toronto. He expected the other boy to be in bed, waiting for him, but the bed was empty. The bathroom door was ajar, and he could see the flickering light of candles inside. The scent of cinnamon and vanilla greeted him as he entered. A portable stereo was softly playing the sound track from Moulin Rouge.

Kurt sat in the over sized bathtub, surrounded by mounds of bubbles. He smiled at the darker boy. "I couldn't sleep. Care to join me?"

Blaine smiled and removed his clothes, sliding into the tub, the warm water washing away a chill he hadn't even been aware of. He sighed as he settled into the cradle of his lifemate's arms. "I missed you."

Kurt wrapped his arms around him, and kissed his temple. "I missed you, too."

They just sat there in silence, taking comfort in each other for a while, Kurt massaging the stiffness out of Blaine's shoulders, neck, and back. As they got out of the tub and dried off, Come What May began to play. Blaine began to hum softly at first, but then the lyrics just spilled from his lips, and Kurt joined him, smiling.

Never knew I could feel like this  
Like I've never seen the sky before  
Want to vanish inside your kiss

Seasons may change, winter to spring  
But I love you until the end of time

Come what may  
Come what may  
I will love you until my dying day

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place  
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace  
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste

It all revolves around you  
And there's no mountain too high  
No river too wide  
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side

Storm clouds may gather  
And stars may collide

But I love you (I love you)  
Until the end of time (Until the end of time)

Come what may  
Come what may  
I will love you, I will love you

They shared a sweet, tender kiss, resisting the lifemate urges. They dressed in pajama pants for now, and Kurt led him out to the bed. He slid his hand under the pillow and pulled out a small box, presenting it to the darker boy with a smile.

"What's this?" Blaine asked, examining the box. Kurt reached out and opened it, revealing a ring nearly identical to the one the shorter boy had given him for his birthday a few weeks ago.

"You gave me a promise ring," Kurt said, slipping the ring from the box. "I wanted to give you one too. I was going to give it to you for your birthday. I promise to always be there to comfort you when life lets you down. I promise that I will do my best to raise you up when you are feeling down. I promise to love you and care for you, no matter what."

Blaine smiled happily as Kurt slipped the ring on to his finger. "I love you, Kurt Hummel! It's perfect!" He kissed the taller boy again.

"You're perfect."


	6. Unions and Reunions, Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'll be introducing more of the Argeneau characters this chapter.

The wedding of Harpernus Stoyen and Alexandrina Argenis (the Spanish branch of the Argeneau family line,) was just as perfect as Tricia and Teddy's had been. The food at the reception was a little more decadent, as the groom had once been chef to Emperor Elect Maximilian I, and had a passion for cooking.

Kurt sat with Blaine, his dad, Carole, Finn, Stephanie, Artie, and Amani. The dancing began, and after a couple of songs, Kurt took Blaine's hand and pulled him out on to the dance floor. It was a slow dance, and they just held each other and swayed to the music.

Blaine still had moments of upset over the stunt his dad had pulled, but they were few and far between the longer he spent with Kurt. He smiled at the taller boy now, as he sang softly along with All of Me, and Kurt grinned back at him.

Aunt Marguerite and Julius were dancing next to them, and smiled at the two boys. When the song ended, Julius excused himself to get something to drink, and Marguerite stopped to talk to them. "Kurt, dear, when are your friends arriving tomorrow?"

"Most of them will be here around eleven tomorrow, but Mercedes will be in later in the day, she's still in Georgia visiting family."

"Wonderful. I'll have Amani meet her at the airport, and they can join us at my house when she arrives."

Kurt smiled at her. "Will we all fit at your house? How many will be there?"

She laughed. "Everyone. All the Argeneau brothers and Martine, all their lifemates, all of their children, and some of Eshe's brothers and sisters, as well as Christian's cousins and two of Julius' sisters. And don't worry, there will be plenty of room. I've had two tents set up in the backyard as well. And a stage for you and your friends to perform."

Julius returned then, and danced away with his lifemate. The two boys smiled as they watched the older couple dance. Another couple approached them. Kurt smiled at his cousin, Russell, and his lifemate, Francis. The two older men usually worked security at the Enforcer's house, the rogue hunter's headquarters.

"May I have this dance?" Russell asked Blaine, while Francis didn't bother to ask, just grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him out on the dance floor as Love Shack began to play. Kurt laughed as Francis did some of the most outrageous dance moves he'd ever seen. Not to be out done, Blaine broke out the silliest moves he could. It quickly devolved into the four males competing to see who could get the most laughs from the rest of the wedding guests.

…

The party had lasted well into the night, and everyone slept in a little late the next morning. It was around ten thirty when they arrived at Aunt Marguerite's for brunch. Kurt was excited to see the rest of New Directions, as well as Nick and Jeff. He, Blaine, Finn, Artie and Stephanie were all waiting outside on the porch when the limos arrived.

They hugged, and Kurt lead everyone into the backyard. Only a few others were there yet. Marguerite, Lissianna, and Jeanne Louise were overseeing the caterers and the men setting up tables and chairs while Julius, Greg, and Paul kept Livy and Lucianna occupied. The twins, Luka and Gemma, were in cribs in the shade of the back porch, with Aunt Marguerite's mastiff keeping watch.

Kurt introduced his friends to those who hadn't met them yet, and they helped finish getting things ready, just as the rest of the family began to trickle in. Kurt had been telling them about various members of his family.

"Okay, I think I've got this straight," Tina began. "Lucian is the eldest, and he had a twin named Jean Claude who was a jerk and died in a fire. Then your Grandfather, Basileios is the next oldest, followed by Martine, the only girl. Then there was Stephano, who died when the Romans invaded Egypt. Next came Armand, who had terrible luck with women and has three children by three different women."

Kurt interrupted her. "They aren't children anymore, and the oldest was with his first lifemate."

Tina nodded in acknowledgment before continuing. "After Armand was Felix, who was tricked into marriage, and his wife killed him and herself, but their daughter escaped only to be kidnapped by the worst rogue ever to set foot on the planet. And then the two youngest are Ennius and Victor?"

"Yes, you got them all in the correct order."

"Good job, Tina!" Blaine smiled at her. "I still get confused by them all."

Finn looked a bit uncomfortable. "I'll never be able to remember all of them! And that was just the original siblings! All of them have so many kids, I'll never be able to remember who is related to who and how!"

"Relax, Finn!" Kurt said, patting him on the back. "They won't care about that! You're Carole's son, and Carole is my Dad's lifemate, so they'll accept you, no matter what!"

As more Argeneaus, Nottes, and d'Aereuses arrived, the New Directions plus Nick and Jeff were engaged in various conversations, surprised that most of the older immortals included them in their discussions. They were all warmly welcomed, and treated as family. Kurt looked around at his friends, smiling. Finn and Sam were engaged in a conversation about football with Kurt's Uncle Crispin, one of his mother's brothers, along with Greg and Paul, and one of the Nottes Kurt hadn't met yet.

Rachel was talking with Bastien's lifemate, Terri, and Lucern's lifemate, Kate, about the upcoming Theater season in New York.

Mike and Tina were chatting with Julianna and Victoria, along with Quinn, Puck and Lauren. He saw Brittany chatting with Bastien alone at one table, while Santana flirted with another of Kurt's uncles.

Stephanie and Artie were playing with Livy and Lucianna, while conversing with Aunt Marguerite and Aunt Martine. He spotted his dad and Carole chatting with Rose and Mila, Julius' sisters.

Kurt looked over to where Blaine, Nick, and Jeff were talking with Thomas, Christian, and a couple of Christian's cousins about music. Though they weren't technically Argeneaus, Kurt noticed Bricker and Mortimer were part of that group. Then again, Mortimer's lifemate Sam's two sisters were lifemates to Argeneaus. Alex was Cale's lifemate. He'd met her on his last visit to Toronto. And Jo was Nicholas' lifemate.

Kurt was happy to see all his friends and family together in one place, all getting along as if they'd been doing this forever.

Well, most of his friends anyway. Where was Mercedes? He'd thought she'd be here by now. As if conjured by his thoughts, he heard the big boned diva giggle from the rose garden. He turned to look at her, and saw her smiling shyly at Amani as he presented her with a rose. The ancient immortal was gazing at his best friend as if she had hung the moon. He wasn't the only one to notice.

Stephanie and Marguerite were both studying the couple, the older woman with a knowing smile on her face. "Well, look at that, Match Maker Marguerite strikes again." Julius said.

The couple seemed to realize that people were watching them, and turned to the crowd. Kurt noticed Armand and Eshe make their way over to speak with Amani, while Mercedes excused herself and walked over to Kurt, hugging him.

"Hey, white boy! I missed you!"

Kurt hugged her back. "I see you've made a new friend."

The dark girl would have blushed beet red if she were able. "He is sweet, he said I was more beautiful than a rose, and that he'd like to sculpt me in ebony."

Kurt laughed and hugged her, knowing she didn't yet realize what was happening between her and the immortal. "Mercedes, sweetie, what else did Amani talk to you about?"

The girl sipped at a glass of lemonade Stephanie handed her as the younger girl and Artie joined them. "He said I must be descended from the moon goddess, Diana, because my smile shines brighter than any star. He's such a poet."

Kurt looked at Stephanie, who just shrugged. "'Cedes, did he say anything to you about reading you, or forever, or..." Kurt wasn't certain how to bring up lifemates.

Mercedes just looked at him curiously. "He was kind of shy, and stammered when he first saw me. But while we were driving here he got bolder, and told me he thought I was beautiful."

They all looked over at the immortal in question, who was sitting with his sister and her lifemate. They all watched as he absently began eating grapes and cheese and crackers from his sister's plate.

"Uh, Mercedes, did I ever tell you how immortals recognize their lifemates?"

She looked confused. "Yeah, you said they can't read or control each other, and they have shared dreams and shared pleasure."

Kurt nodded. "For much older immortals there is another way to know for sure. Immortals tend to lose interest in food and hobbies after a couple of hundred years. But when they meet their lifemates, their appetites are reawakened, and they find pleasure in things they'd long lost interest in."

He watched her as his words sank in. She was watching Amani absently nibble on a piece of cantaloupe. He could see the thoughts churning in her head, and answered the question that was on the tip of her tongue. "Amani is almost three thousand years old."

The implications came to her, and her eyes went wide with shock. "But...you mean...he...and me...I mean...we're?"

"He's your lifemate, Mercedes. If you accept him, you'll be immortal, like me."

She looked across the yard at the handsome dark skinned male, who turned and smiled at her as their eyes met. She smiled shyly at him.

"Welcome to the family, Mercedes." Kurt whispered.


	7. The Ties That Bind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still at the family reunion.

As the afternoon went on, The New Directions and Jeff and Nick felt more at ease with the Argeneau clan. Nick had been excited to meet Etienne Argeneau, creator of his favorite video game, Blood Lust. He was a little surprised that Etienne had based the main character in the game after his own mother, though after hearing Marguerite's story, it made sense.

She had met Jean Claude Argeneau seven hundred years ago while working as a servant in a castle. The immortal had ridden into the keep one evening and spotted the girl (and she had just been a girl, only fifteen years old,) going about her duties. She looked so much like Sabia, the lifemate he had lost when Atlantis fell. He knew she wasn't his lifemate, as he could read her thoughts, and knew she found him handsome.

He had married the girl, turning her. He'd known it was a mistake immediately, but refused to admit it. Instead he spent the next seven hundred years making the woman miserable as punishment for not being his lifemate. And when she found a true lifemate, he and Vita, Julius' sister, and another friend of theirs, Morgan, had done the unthinkable. They had basically mind raped her, forcing her to forget about her true lifemate, and the son she had given birth to with him.

The best thing Jean Claude Argeneau had ever done for his wife and children was to die in the house fire that he accidentally set while drunk on alcohol infused blood and smoking a cigarette. Once free of his tyranny, Marguerite was free to discover herself, and had found her true love once again, and had been reunited with the son she had been forced to forget.

Of course there had been happiness in her life as well. She loved the four children she had with Jean Claude, and she had helped raise several nieces and nephews, and an occasional orphan as well. She had a passion for music, teaching herself to play piano, guitar, lute, harpsichord, and various other instruments, and passing that love down to her children and everyone who crossed her path.

Through out the day, several family members entertained them with music and song. Marguerite and Christian played a beautiful duet with Marguerite playing guitar and Christian on his violin. Marguerite, Lissianna, Christian, and Thomas had then performed several pieces together on the piano, harp, violin, and guitar.

Around sunset, New Directions was asked to sing, along with Blaine, Nick and Jeff. Nick played the bass guitar, while Blaine played piano, Finn played drums, and Puck and Sam played guitars. Christian and Thomas even joined them on a few songs.

They closed with a classic song (Mr. Schue would have been proud if he'd been there.) Mercedes, Quinn, and Santana started it off, while most of Kurt's relatives cheered at the opening notes.

We are family  
I got all my sisters with me  
We are family  
Get up everybody and sing

We are family  
I got all my sisters with me  
We are family  
Get up everybody and sing

Kurt, Blaine, Stephanie, and Artie took up the next verse

Everyone can see we're together  
As we walk on by  
And we fly just like birds of a feather  
I'm not telling no lie

All of the people around us say  
Can we be that close  
Just let me state for the record  
We're giving love in a family dose, yeah

All of New Direction, plus the three Dalton boys, joined in on the chorus, laughing and dancing.

We are family  
I got all my sisters with me  
We are family  
Get up everybody and sing

We are family  
I got all my sisters with me  
We are family  
Get up everybody and sing

Finn and Rachel took the next few lines.

Living life is fun and we've just begun  
To get our share of the world's delights  
High hopes we have for the future  
And our goal's in sight

Nick and Jeff picked it up from there.

No we don't get depressed  
Here's what we call our golden rule  
Have faith in you and the things you do  
You won't go wrong, oh no  
This is our family Jewel, yeah

And everyone, including most of Kurt's relatives sang along for the last few choruses.

We are family  
I got all my sisters with me  
We are family  
Get up everybody and sing

We are family  
I got all my sisters with me  
We are family  
Get up everybody and sing

We are family  
I got all my sisters with me  
We are family  
Get up everybody and sing

We are family  
I got all my sisters with me  
We are family  
Get up everybody and sing

…

His aunt had invited all his friends to stay for a few days, and the day after the reunion, was spent at Wonderland, along with Amani, Jeanne Louise, Paul, and Livy. They all enjoyed themselves immensely. Over the next few days, they visited several museums, took a helicopter tour of Niagara Falls, and gave an impromptu performance in a park where they were having a picnic lunch.

On Wednesday, the girls and Kurt went shopping while the boys went to a Blue Jays game. They met up for dinner at the Singing Spot, having heard all about it from the four who had visited during spring break. Amani joined them there as well.

Kurt was so happy for his best friend, who agreed to allow Amani to turn her after graduation. The immortal had surprised them by singing a duet with Mercedes. Even more surprising was their song selection.

hmmmmm...

ohhhhh...  
Kiss me too fiercely  
Hold me too tight  
I need help believing  
You're with me tonight.  
My wildest dreamings  
Could not foresee  
Lying beside you  
With you wanting me  
Just for this moment  
As long as you're mine  
I've lost all resistance  
And crossed some borderline  
And if it turns out  
It's over too fast  
I'll make every last moment last  
As long as you're mine

Maybe I'm brainless  
Maybe I'm wise  
But you've got me seeing  
Through different eyes  
Somehow I've fallen  
Under your spell  
And somehow I'm feeling  
It's up that I fell

Every moment  
As long as you're mine  
I'll wake up my body  
And make up for lost time

Say there's no future  
For us as a pair

And though I may know  
I don't care  
Just for this moment  
As long as you're mine  
Come be how you want to  
And see how bright we shine  
Borrow the moonlight  
Until it is through  
And know I'll be here  
Holding you  
As long as you're mine

Kurt and Rachel cheered the loudest. Not to be out done, the two sang For Good, earning another round of applause from the patrons. They did several more songs in many different pairings and groups, including Summer Lovin' from Grease as a group, getting laughs and cheers from the crowd as Kurt stole Rizzo's line from Santana.

When they got back to Aunt Marguerite's house later that night, they were met by Lucian Argeneau. They were all still a little leary of the ancient immortal, intimidated by his ice cold blue eyes.

"Uncle Lucian," Kurt greeted, no longer afraid of his eldest relative. "What are you doing here?"

The older male looked over the group of young adults. "I'm waiting for Bricker and several other hunters. We have intel on some rogue activity in California, as well as some missing immortals from Texas. I also have a message for Stephanie."

The girl in question looked surprised "Me?"

"Yes. As Leonius is no longer a threat, I've decided to allow you to return to Lima with Kurt and his friends when they leave day after tomorrow. I've already notified Victor and Elvi. Being there seems to have greatly improved your shielding abilities."

She smiled happily. "Thank you, Lucian!"

He then turned to look at Amani. "Also, there is an opening for an art instructor at Dalton Academy this year. I've made arrangements for you to fill the position. Teddy and Katricia will be returning to Port Henry once they return from their honeymoon."

The other immortal smiled brightly as he looked at Mercedes.

Just then Bricker, Mortimer, and half a dozen other hunters arrived, so the young people excused themselves and made their way to the guest rooms they were staying in. Kurt's Dad and Carole were still staying at Harper's, but Finn, Blaine, and Kurt had all decided to stay at Marguerite's with the rest of their friends.

As they got ready for bed, Kurt and Blaine were talking about Mercedes and Amani. Kurt couldn't contain his happiness that his best friend would be immortal like him, and he'd never have to say goodbye to her.

"I just wish the others could find lifemates, too," he said. He'd thought about it ever since Stephanie had told him she couldn't read Artie. If one of his friends could be a lifemate, why couldn't they all be? But what about Tina and Mike? They seemed so in love with each other. What if they turned out to be lifemates for immortals? Would they be happy being a lifemate to someone else, or would they be upset that they couldn't be together? Same for Finn and Rachel. He knew they cared deeply for each other, but deep inside he knew they wouldn't be lifemates.

He decided to wait and see what happened. He'd keep introducing them all to immortals, and see if any more of them turned out to be lifemates. There was plenty of time. They were all young still. They had years, decades, before he had to worry about losing any of them.


	8. Summer Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to Lima! Summer vacation is still in full swing! Will Kurt find lifemates for anymore of his friends? Will anyone else learn his secret? And have we heard the end of Blaine's dad? Read on to learn more!

The Anderson home was large, with a huge backyard, and a large swimming pool that was currently occupied by most of the Warblers and all the members of New Directions, minus Kurt Hummel, who sat in the shade of the porch. It was the 4th of July, there were burgers on the grill, and plenty of lemonade and watermelon, among other things, set out on the patio tables. Kurt watched his friends laughing and splashing around as music blasted from the stereo speakers.

He couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of finding lifemates for each of them. Would they thank him for it, or were they happy as they were? Should he ask them if they wanted him to try?

"Penny for your thoughts," Stephanie said, sitting beside him. He smiled.

"You already know what I'm thinking, might as well keep the penny."

She smiled. "True. Do you want my opinion?"

"Sure."

She took a moment to drink some lemonade before answering. "Stop worrying over it. If it happens, it happens. You know the odds are against all of them being a lifemate. The fact that Artie and Mercedes are lifemates is a blessing to you, because it means you won't have to lose all of them, you'll always have friends. You are luckier than most."

He smiled at her. "Thanks. You always know exactly what I need to hear."

She smiled and kissed his cheek, then walked over to where Artie sat on the shallow steps that led down into the pool. Kurt smiled and relaxed. She was right. There was no need to worry about it. If it was meant to be, it would happen. He stood up and moved around the edge of the pool to where his lifemate sat on the edge, laughing with Nick and Jeff. He sat beside Blaine, taking his hand,

The curly haired boy smiled and kissed him softly on the forehead.

…

As the summer months began to wind down, the four sets of lifemates began to spend a lot of time together. The subject of whether to actively seek lifemates for the rest of their friends was discussed, and it was mutually agreed upon to let nature take it's course.

The last Friday of July, the four couple's met at Blaine's house for dinner and a movie marathon. They'd decided on a vampire theme for the movies, though Amani was a little reluctant, until he saw the films they had selected; Love at First Bite, Once Bitten, Nightlife, and Rockula. They laughed and made fun of the cheesy dialogue, and sang along to the music in the last film.

They were singing along to Hey, Rockula, the final song, when Pam Anderson slammed the front door. They could hear her angrily shouting into her phone.

"...unacceptable! After the stunt you pulled you're lucky you aren't facing prison time! You don't like it, fine, you can speak to my lawyer!"

She hung up and almost threw the phone down when she noticed the eight pairs of eyes focused on her. She smiled nervously. "I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was here. Hello, Blaine, darling! And Kurt! Nick, Jeff, how have you been? I'm sorry, I don't know the others."

"Um, Mom, this is Kurt's cousin Stephanie, and her lifemate, Artie, and their friend Mercedes, and her lifemate, Amani. What's wrong? Why are you so upset?"

The older woman took a calming breath before she spoke. "That was your father on the phone. He wanted you to meet him in New York next week for your birthday. I told him no. He's threatening to sue for custody."

"He can't do that!" Blaine blanched. "I refuse to live with him! I don't ever want to see him again!"

Kurt pulled him in to a hug. "Shh! It's okay. We won't let that happen. My dad and Bastian will take care of everything." He glanced over and smiled at Pam. "No one harms my lifemate and gets away with it!"

Pam smiled back at him. "Thank you, Kurt. I'm so happy Blaine found you. Knowing that years down the line he'll have someone who will love and protect him is very comforting. I'm sorry if I interrupted your party. I'm just going to go take a shower and go to bed. Good night all, it was nice to meet you!"

Kurt watched her go, and then pulled out his cell phone, still hugging Blaine as he dialed his dad and asked him to get a hold of Bastian and handle Blaine's dad. He was so incredibly lucky to have such a great dad who loved him, and he knew that Blaine was lucky to have such an amazing, accepting mom, as well. It just didn't seem fair that his dad would be there for him forever, but Blaine's mom would one day die.

A thought began to form in his mind. Maybe it wouldn't be realistic to try and find lifemates for all of his friends, but maybe it could be possible to find a lifemate for one person. He glanced over at Stephanie, who was watching him. She nodded imperceptibly, knowing his thought, and silently agreeing with him. He slipped his phone back out of his pocket, and sent a quick text to Aunt Marguerite, knowing that woman couldn't help playing matchmaker.

…

Kurt was dreading the last week of summer vacation. He was counting down the days until he would be returning to McKinley, while Blaine would be returning to Dalton. It wasn't just the fact that he wasn't looking forward to them being separated after becoming so used to being together almost every minute, but also Kurt's fears of what could happen to his lifemate when they weren't together. He'd already been kidnapped once by a rogue, as had Nick. It could happen again.

And what would happen if someone else found out about him and Nick and Jeff? What if they couldn't control them and make them forget before Amani could deal with them? What if their people were discovered and hunted down?

He knew he was being ridiculous, but his mind kept spitting out what if scenarios.

Blaine's birthday was the day before school started, and they were celebrating it at Kurt's home, with all of the Warblers and New Directions. The party was in full swing in the back yard, with music, dancing, and a ton of food. Kurt was trying to be happy and have fun, but he couldn't. Blaine noticed.

"Come on, Kurt, what's bothering you? And don't try and deny it, you've been bummed for days."

Kurt sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just sad that this will be our last day together for a while. It sucks that you're going to be at Dalton, and I'll be at McKinley. This is my senior year, and I want it to be perfect, but without you there, it's going to be boring."

Blaine smiled at him. "It won't be boring, I promise. Maybe you'll be surprised by how not boring it will be. I mean, you have the school play to look forward to, and Glee, and who knows what else."

Kurt smiled weakly. "It would be more fun with you there. We could be in the play together! And if you stay at Dalton, we'll be competing at Sectionals with each other, and you know how you get when I win."

Blaine laughed and hugged him. "Just wait. You'll see. It's going to be your best year ever."

…

The warning bell rang before first period, and Kurt was still sorting out his locker when he felt a presence behind him. He tensed, the action so ingrained from so many shoves into hard surfaces. When no shove came, he turned slowly, his jaw dropping in shock.

"Blaine?"

The curly haired boy smiled at him. "Surprise!"


	9. School Daze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're heading back to school this chapter! That means a little more cannon, though don't expect everything that happened on the show to happen in this story. Some events will remain the same, others will be mentioned but changed up a little, and other things didn't happen in this AU.

The first couple of weeks back at McKinley were a blur for Kurt. For the most part, Blaine's introduction to New Directions went smoothly, although Finn seemed a bit put out because he thought Blaine would push him out as co leader of the group. There were some ruffled feathers on both parts, but they managed to work things out for now.

While the jocks continued to harass him, and by extension, Blaine, it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been the previous year. Kurt was sad to learn that Karofsky had transferred schools. He had hoped the other boy would have accepted himself enough by now to come out, but Kurt couldn't blame him for not wanting to do so in this environment. He hoped the other boy would find peace and happiness.

As for Kurt, he was happy. His senior year was off to an awesome start. He had his lifemate by his side, the bullying was tolerable, and Mr. Schue was considering giving him a solo for Sectionals! And to top it all off, they were doing West Side Story for the school play this year, and auditions were just around the corner. He couldn't wait to try out, especially with Blaine there to tryout too.

They had talked about what parts they would audition for. They both wanted to play Tony, but Blaine said that if Kurt really wanted the part, he would try out for one of the other parts instead, since it was Kurt's senior year. Kurt had said that they should both audition for it, that all that really mattered was that they did this together, and that he'd be happy with whatever role he got.

Audition day arrived, and they waited in the wings to be called. "Are you nervous?" Blaine asked.

Kurt shrugged. "A little, but not as much as I thought I would be. Are you?"

Blaine laughed. "A little. I know I'm going to nail my song, but the dancing and acting parts still aren't where I'd like them."

"You'll do great, sweetie!" Kurt said, just as his name was called.

"Good luck!" Blaine called out as Kurt made his way on stage.

Kurt smiled at the three people who sat at the table set up in the audience, Coach Beiste, Artie, and Miss Pillsbury.

"Hello, I'm Kurt Hummel, and I will be auditioning for the part of Tony."

Artie smiled back. "Let's see what you've got."

Kurt nodded and took a deep breath. As the music started playing, he started to second guess himself again. The song he'd chosen wasn't something he'd normally perform, but it was well within his wheelhouse, and he wanted to show his versatility. He needed to show them that there was more to his talent than Broadway and High F's.

The intro ended, and he began to sing, his body finding the rhythm as he began flow gracefully across the stage. The choreography was simple but elegant, as if his body was part of the music.

I want to break free  
I want to break free  
I want to break free from your lies  
You're so self satisfied I don't need you  
I've got to break free  
God knows, God knows I want to break free.

I've fallen in love  
I've fallen in love for the first time

And this time I know it's for real  
I've fallen in love, yeah  
God knows, God knows I've fallen in love.

It's strange but it's true  
I can't get over the way you love me like you do  
But I have to be sure  
When I walk out that door  
Oh how I want to be free, baby  
Oh how I want to be free,  
Oh how I want to break free.

He retrieved his sai swords from the side of the stage, and continued his dance while twirling them, even more graceful now.

But life still goes on  
I can't get used to, living without, living without,  
Living without you by my side  
I don't want to live alone, hey  
God knows, got to make it on my own  
So baby can't you see  
I've got to break free.

I've got to break free  
I want to break free, yeah  
I want, I want, I want, I want to break free.

The panel was stunned for a moment, then broke out in cheers as Kurt finished.

"Wow, Kurt," Artie began. "That was impressive! Definitely not what I had anticipated. Well done!"

Kurt bowed and left the stage. Blaine pulled him in to a hug. "That was amazing! I didn't know you could do that!"

Kurt smiled and hugged him back. "Yes, well, there are still things you don't know about me. It's a hobby I've dabbled with a little over the years. One of the perks of immortality is you pretty much have time to learn anything you want."

"Blaine Anderson!" Coach Beiste called out.

"Good luck!" Kurt said, kissing his cheek.

Kurt watched his lifemate perform Something's Coming, and knew that there was no doubt that the curly haired boy was the perfect Tony. Was Kurt jealous? Maybe just a little, but he knew someday he'd get the leading role. And besides, watching Blaine own that stage was kind of hot.

"Stop drooling, white boy!" Mercedes teased as she moved up to his side.

"Cedes! Hi! Are you auditioning for Maria?"

"I am, and I'm gonna kill it! Rachel Berry better watch her back, because this is MY senior year too, and I refuse to take a backseat again."

Kurt hugged her. "Go get 'em, girl!"

Blaine came off the stage then, and hugged her as well. "Good luck, Mercedes!"

The dark skinned Diva strutted out on stage when her name was called. The music began, and Kurt grinned. The song selection was perfect.

And I am telling you  
I'm not going  
You're the best man I'll ever know

There's no way I can ever go  
No, no, there's no way  
No, no, no, no way I'm living without you  
I'm not living without you  
I don't wanna be free  
I'm staying  
I'm staying  
And you, and you  
You're gonna love me, oh ooh mm mm  
You're gonna love me

And I am telling you  
I'm not going  
Even though the rough times are showing  
There's just no way, there's no way  
We're part of the same place  
We're part of the same time  
We both share the same blood  
We both have the same mind

And time and time, we've had so much to see and  
No, no, no, no, no, no way  
I'm not waking up tomorrow morning and finding that there's nobody there

Darling there's no way  
No, no, no, no way I'm living without you  
I'm not living without you  
You see there's just no way, there's no way

Please don't go away from me  
Stay with me stay with me  
Stay, stay and hold me  
Stay, stay and hold me

Please stay and hold me, Mr. Man,  
Try it mister, try it mister  
I know, I know, I know you can

Tear down the mountains  
Yell, scream and shout like you can say what you want  
I'm not walking out  
Stop all the rivers, push, strike and kill  
I'm not gonna leave you  
There's no way I will

And I am telling you  
I'm not going  
You're the best man I'll ever know  
There's no way I could ever, ever go  
No, no, no, no way  
No, no, no, no way I'm living without you  
Oh, I'm not living without you,  
Not living without you  
I don't wanna be free  
I'm staying, I'm staying  
And you, and you, and you  
You're gonna love me

You're gonna love me, yes you are  
Ooh ooh love me, ooh ooh ooh love me  
Love me, love me, love me, love me

You're gonna love me

Kurt and Blaine cheered, and the three panelist gave her a standing ovation.

…

"What do you mean, double casting?" Mercedes shouted a few days later. Kurt watched his best friend, and could see the hurt she was trying to hide with her angry outburst. He and Blaine weren't too upset to be double cast, but Kurt had to admit that double casting Mercedes and Rachel for Maria was wrong. Mercedes had definitely given the better performance during the auditions.

"Why is everyone always bowing down to Berry? Look me in the eye and tell me she was better than me!" Mercedes demanded. None of the three panelist could look at her. "I see. You know what? Screw it. Give her the part, I don't want it. I'm so sick and tired of being in someone else's shadow. Just remember one thing, Miss Rachel Berry, the real world doesn't revolve around you, and I can't wait to see life smack you in the face with that fact one day. You think you will be handed roles on a silver platter when you get out of this one trick pony town? Girls like you are a dime a dozen. You'll be lucky to get a flash in the chorus. I'm out of here!"

Kurt rushed after her. "Mercedes, wait!"

"No, Kurt, I'm tired of waiting. You and I both know I was way better than her!"

"I know, honey. I just want to make sure you're okay. Do you wanna have a pity party at my house tonight? We can invite Amani, and Jeff and Nick. I know you aren't too happy with Artie right now, but we could invite Stephanie too, if you want."

Mercedes took a deep breath. "Thanks, Boo, but I don't think that will help. It's so not fair, though. It's my senior year too. When do I get to shine?"

Kurt studied her intently, and let out a sigh. "I really hate myself for suggesting this, but I want you to be happy. So, why don't you consider joining Ms. Corcoran's new group? You could shine pretty bright there. Maybe show Rachel just how good you really are?"

"But what about New Directions?"

"Well, we'll still have to kick your butt. But that just means we'll have to work a little harder. Seriously though, 'Cedes, you gotta do what's best for you."

Mercedes smiled and hugged him. "Thanks, Kurt."


	10. Old Nemesis

"Dude, why would you encourage her to leave like that?" Finn shouted as he stormed into Kurt's bedroom later that evening. "We need her for Sectionals!"

"Why don't you ask your girlfriend?" Kurt snapped back, never looking up from his homework. "And don't call me dude!"

Blaine, who was working beside him, glanced up at the taller boy. "We may need her, but she doesn't need us. She's our friend, and she deserves to be happy."

Finn glared at him. "Why do you guys hate Rachel so much? What has she ever done to you?"

Kurt scoffed and threw down his French homework. "First of all, I don't hate Rachel, but she can be a royal spoiled brat. She gets everything handed to her without caring who she hurts. She thinks she is better than everyone in Glee club, despite the fact that Tina has a purer voice and Santana has a larger range. Mercedes slayed her audition, and was much better than Rachel, and still they didn't give her the part. And don't think I've forgotten the whole Defying Gravity fiasco. So if you are going to barge in here and tell us to lay off your girlfriend, then you can just march your high and mighty butt back out!"

Finn huffed, and stormed back out.

Kurt sighed and leaned back on the pillows. Blaine put aside his books and lay beside him. "Don't let him get to you. You did the right thing."

"I know. Honestly, if Mr. Schue hadn't come up with the perfect solo for me this time, I probably would have joined Ms. Corcoran's group too. I just can't understand why Mr. Schue can't see just how talented the rest of them are. I know Tina has another year after this, and she'll finally be out of Rachel's shadow, so she'll have a chance to shine. But Quinn is also incredibly talented and should get a chance to be center stage. Same with Santana. Although I have a hunch she and Brittany might join Mercedes and jump ship. I hope they do, actually. Maybe that will be Schuester's wake up call."

Blaine had a far away look on his face. "I've got an idea." He reached for a pen. Kurt read over his shoulder, and smiled.

"It's brilliant! And it's perfect for Mercedes. We have to convince her to sing this at Sectionals!"

They settled back to finish their homework. They were quiet for a while, until Blaine looked over at the auburn haired boy. "You aren't upset about being double cast with me, are you?"

Kurt glanced up at him and smiled. "Why would I be upset about it? You were amazing at your audition. I'm just surprised they split it between us. I would have been happy just playing Officer Krupke." He studied the other boy. "Are you upset by it?"

The curly haired boy smiled as well. "No, I'm glad. I would have felt guilty beating you out for it." He leaned in and kissed his lifemate.

Kurt smiled into the kiss. They had learned to control the lifemate urges enough that they could share kisses without getting overwhelmed by desire. He deepened the kiss, licking at the shorter boy's bottom lip until he opened his mouth, allowing access to the sweet treasure inside.

They broke apart when they heard Burt's car pull into the garage, but didn't pull away. "Do you know how much I love you?" Kurt whispered.

Blaine brushed his lip once more with his own. "As much as I love you."

Kurt sighed. "Come on. We should get dinner started. Carole is working late tonight."

They made their way down the stairs. "Hey, should we invite Nick and Jeff to the show?" Blaine asked.

"Of course! I thought you'd invite all of the Warblers to opening night. They can see you kill it as Tony, and I'll make them laugh with my Officer Krupke."

Blaine laughed. "Or we can invite them for a night you play Tony and I play Krupke."

Kurt hugged him. "Nope, It's gonna be opening night. You can take them the tickets after school tomorrow. I'll be busy tutoring Mike in French. We can meet at the Lima Bean afterwards."

They kissed again before entering the Kitchen.

…

Friday afternoon, Blaine arrived at Dalton around the time practice would normally be getting out. As he made his way down the spiral staircase, he couldn't help smiling as he remembered his first glimpse of Kurt. As much as he had denied it to himself, he had fallen for him the moment he had laid eyes on him.

He heard music coming from the commons, and smiled as he made his way down the hall. He recognized Nick's voice singing lead on Uptown Girl. He was happy for his friend taking over as lead soloist. Kurt was right that everyone deserved a chance to shine.

He entered the room, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, not wanting to interfere. He need not have worried. The Warblers were as professional as ever, never missing a beat, even as they drew him in. He laughed, and joined in on the choreography and backing vocals.

It was fun singing with his old friends again. Trent looked so hopeful when he asked if Blaine was returning to Dalton, Blaine hated to disappoint him. As he passed out the tickets, he couldn't help but notice the new boy.

Something about him made Blaine's skin crawl, but he couldn't understand why. The guy hadn't done anything wrong. The boy in question smiled and reached out to shake his hand.

"Blaine Anderson. Sebastian Smythe." Blaine hesitated a moment, instincts warring with his ingrained manners. Manners won out, and he shook the other boy's hand. The sudden tension and apprehension faded away.

He made polite small talk to with the taller boy. The next thing he knew, they were sitting in the Lima Bean. The unease began to slip back into Blaine's mind. Something wasn't right. How had they gotten here? And why was he allowing the other boy to flirt with him?

…

Kurt's cell phone rang as he pulled into the parking lot of the local coffee shop. He waited until he had pulled into an open space before digging the phone from the depths of his messenger bag, frowning when he saw the caller ID.

"Bastian?"

"Kurt, I hope I'm not disturbing you, but I had a couple of things I needed to talk to you about."

"I was just about to meet Blaine for coffee, but otherwise I'm free."

"Good, good. First off, you remember how I had your friend Brittany come to New York over the Summer to run some tests on her?"

"Yeah, you thought she might somehow be related to us." Kurt opened his door, and gathered up his bag, slipping out of the Navigator as he talked.

"Yes, well, as it turns out, she is related to one of the immortal families. I'm not sure you know this, but as soon as DNA testing became available, I had members of every immortal line give samples. Your friend is related to the Dumaris line."

"Dumaris, why is that name familiar?" Kurt asked as he paused by the door to the Lima Bean. He could see Blaine sitting at one of the tables, talking to someone he couldn't see. Had Nick and Jeff decided to join them? He was distracted by the voice on the line.

"Dumaris was one of the lead researchers on the nano project. His brother was one of the participants in the second round of testing. The brother currently works for me now."

"So what does this mean for Brittany?"

"Well, for now it means we'll be keeping an eye on her, and when she graduates, we'll offer her a job. And if the Dumaris line choose to claim her, she might be offered immortality, if the council approves."

Kurt was stunned for a moment. Another one of his friends might become immortal? "Wow, thanks for letting me know, Bastian." He reached for the door and pulled it open.

"There was something else I wanted to let you know, too. Another immortal has settled in your area, and considering your background with him, I thought I would warn you."

Kurt frowned at the words as he made his way towards Blaine. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I know the two of you didn't get along very well when you were younger, especially after the whole pushing you in front of a bus incident when you came to visit us when you were six. But he's older now, and hopefully the two of you can get along."

Kurt stopped in his tracks when he saw the taller boy sitting across from Blaine. He could sense Blaine's confusion and discomfort as the other boy reached across the table and touched his hand.

It was fortunate that the noise level in the coffee shop was loud enough to cover the growl that came from Kurt's throat.

"Sebastian Smythe, get your filthy hands off my lifemate, before I rip them from your body!"

In his ear, he could hear his cousin swearing over the still open phone line.


	11. Breakouts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains an original song from a play I am writing. I am still searching for a composer/lyricist to help me finish the music (Cough*Darren*Cough). The name of the song is Out of This Shadow. It's not complete, but I hope you like it!
> 
> Also, new Argeneau character. He's cannon in the series but was never named, one of Justin Bricker's brothers!

Kurt could still hear his cousin swearing over the phone, but he didn't care. All he could see was the taller boy's hand on his lifemate's, and the blank look on Blaine's face.

"Hello, Kurt, is that any way to great an old friend?" Sebastian's smile never faded, and Kurt knew he couldn't make a scene.

"You are no friend of mine," he hissed, keeping his voice low. "You are a spoiled brat who never learned to play nice and treats mortals like toys. Now, get your hand off my lifemate, or so help me, I will rip you apart, even if it means having to scrub the memory of every mortal in this place."

The other immortal rolled his eyes, but released Blaine's hand. The smaller boy gasped and pulled back as if his hand was on fire. Sebastian just continued to grin. "Easy there, Argeneau. I just wanted to learn more about the boy who destiny dropped into your lap. The entire immortal community has been abuzz at the fact that you found your lifemate so early, you know."

Kurt took Blaine's hand and raised his knuckles to his mouth for a quick kiss, never looking away from the other boy. "Yes, well, now you've had a good look at him, so now you can stay the hell away, because I'd be doing Lucian a huge favor putting your sorry ass down. It will save him the effort of having to track you down once you are declared rogue, like so many of your family before you."

The smile on the other boy's face faltered briefly. "Are you threatening me, Argeneau?"

"It's Hummel, and that wasn't a threat, it was a promise! Stay away from my lifemate, and stay away from my friends! Amani has been warned about you. One wrong move and I won't hesitate to stake and bake your meerkat face before beheading you myself."

The other boy rose from his seat. "Fine, Argeneau. See you around."

He watched as the taller boy sauntered out the door.

"Kurt, I'm so sorry!" Blaine started, but Kurt just shook his head and lead the younger boy out of the coffee shop. He pulled the curly haired boy into the darkened backseat of his Navigator, before searching him for any signs of harm.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you? He didn't try to force you to do anything, did he?" he pulled the other boy in close, needing to hold him before his heart could stop racing.

"Kurt, I'm okay, just a little confused. Who was that?"

The pale boy cursed under his breath. "Sebastian Smythe. His family line was one of the ones that escaped Atlantis along with mine, but unlike the Argeneaus, the Smythes have never been interested in laws and politics. They stay in Europe mostly, since feeding off the hoof is still permitted there, even though it is frowned upon. Several of them have gone rogue over the millennia, most notably Sebastian's Aunt Tisiphone."

The name was spoken with so much venom, it surprised Blaine, who had never seen his boyfriend so angry. "What happened with her?"

Kurt settled more comfortably on the back seat, practically pulling the other boy into his lap. "She was insane, convinced herself that my Uncle Felix was her lifemate, even though she could read and control him. She kidnapped him, made him believe she was his lifemate, forced him to marry her. They had a child together, my cousin, Basha, the one who finally killed Leonius. But when Basha was just a child, my Uncle Lucian found where Tisiphone was holding Felix. She refused to surrender. She set the house on fire with all of them inside before Lucian could reach them. A servant managed to save Basha, but Felix and Tisiphone perished."

Blaine snuggled closer, holding the pale boy tightly. "I'm so sorry, Kurt. I don't know what to say. He was there at Warbler practice today. I could tell there was something off with him, but as soon as he touched my hand, I couldn't really think straight."

"He was controlling you, Blaine. Physical contact makes the mental command stronger. It's not your fault, you couldn't have known." He kissed the shorter boy. It was meant only to be a quick kiss to comfort, but both boys were a bit frazzled by what had transpired with the other immortal.

Blaine deepened the kiss slowly, needing the comfort and reassurance of the lifemate bond, and Kurt was more than willing to comply. Pale fingers slid into dark curls, fisting in the soft strands as tongues dueled for dominance. They pulled apart only when the need for air became too much.

Kurt rested his forehead against the other boy's, gasping. "We need to go, before this gets out of hand. As much as I love you, I don't want our first time to be in the backseat of my car, in the parking lot of The Lima Bean."

"I love you, too." Blaine kissed him softly once more, and then reluctantly sat up and slipped into the front passenger seat, while Kurt settled behind the wheel. He had just started the engine, when his cell phone made an odd chirping noise.

"Crap, I forgot I was on the phone with Bastian when all that was happening." He searched the backseat for the phone, noticing that his battery was going dead. He plugged it into the charger before pulling out of the parking lot.

…

"Dude! Now Santana and Brittany have quit!" Was Finn's greeting when they arrived at the Hummel-Hudson home. "Are you trying to ruin any chance we have at Sectionals?"

Kurt glared at him. "Of course not, Finn. We are considered the team to beat, after all. But now Mr. Schue will be forced to see that he can't keep bowing down to Rachel at every turn. We are so much better than he gives us credit for! And now we all have a chance to shine. Why can't you be happy for Mercedes? And Santana and Brittany?"

Finn just huffed and stormed off. Kurt sighed. His step brother would eventually learn that there were more important things in life than competitions and high school girlfriends.

He and Blaine went into the kitchen to begin prepping for dinner, when the house phone rang. Frowning, Kurt answered.

"Kurt, I'm glad I caught you," Bastian said, sounding concerned. "Listen, I heard most of what happened with Smythe, and I talked to Lucian. He's sending someone else out to Ohio to keep an eye on things."

"Who?" Kurt asked, glad to have another pair of eyes on Sebastian.

"Joshua Bricker. I don't think you ever met him. He's Justin's brother."

"Is he a hunter?"

"No, Lucian doesn't have any hunters to spare, there is some fishy business going on down in South America right now, and Justin just found his lifemate down in California. But Joshua is no stranger to battle if it comes down to it. He's studied almost every form of martial arts known to man, and fought in the American Revolution, just don't ask on which side."

"Okay, thanks Bastian. When will he arrive?"

"He's in British Columbia right now, finishing up some private business, but he'll fly out first thing in the morning."

"Sounds good. Thanks again Bastian."

"No problem, Kurt."

…

They had dress rehearsal Saturday afternoon. Blaine and Kurt were rehearsing their Officer Krupke lines off to one side as the others rehearsed America on the main stage. Blaine's mom, Pam, had volunteered to help with last minute costume fittings, and was backstage, pinning up Stephanie's costume for the Jet's scene.

The song on stage ended, and Artie was giving out some directions to some of the Cheerios who were among the dancers, when Kurt noticed the man standing near the back of the auditorium. It had to be Joshua Bricker. He looked so much like his younger brother.

The man in question spotted him and moved down the aisle. Kurt and Blaine met him halfway. The man smiled and shook their hands.

"Nice to meet you both. Call me Josh. Justin has told me so much about you both."

Kurt smiled. "There couldn't have been that much to tell, I only met him once, and I'm pretty certain I was too stressed out over my missing lifemate to make any kind of impression."

The older immortal laughed. "Well, his words exactly, were that you are one smart kid, and that you saved your lifemate all on your own. And he said that Blaine was a great kid with a huge heart. Not to mention Marguerite Argeneau telling me about what remarkable young men you both are."

Kurt looked confused. "Aunt Marguerite? She sent you here?"

"Blaine," Pam called out as she emerged from backstage, "I'm ready to measure you now for your Krupke costume. Oh, hello. I'm Pam Anderson, Blaine's mother."

Josh just stood there staring at her as if he'd been hit upside the head with a baseball bat. Kurt looked from him to his lifemate's mom, and back again, a sudden grin crossing his face.

"Pam, this is Josh Bricker. He's one of us." The last was said in a conspiratorial whisper. She glanced at him, momentarily confused, until Kurt mouthed the word immortal.

"Oh, well. How do you do."

Josh still seemed in a state of shock as Kurt began backing away, tugging Blaine with him. "Yes, well, we'll leave you two to get acquainted. Blaine and I need to find Mercedes, anyway."

Blaine was looking at his mother and the other immortal speculatively. "Kurt?" He asked tentatively. His lifemate just smiled back at him.

"I asked Aunt Marguerite to play matchmaker. Seems she works pretty fast."

"You mean..?"

"I'm fairly certain your mom will be joining our ranks soon."

The curly haired boy threw himself into the taller boy's arms. "Oh my god, Kurt, thank you so much! I didn't even want to think about the day I would have to say goodbye to her! You've made me so happy!"

Kurt hugged him back, and kissed his cheek. "I may not be able to find lifemates for all of our friends, but I had to at least try for your mom. I want you to be happy. I know how bad I'd feel if I lost my Dad."

Blaine just held him tighter. "Thank you! You are the best lifemate ever!"

Kurt smiled. "Come on, we do still need to talk to Mercedes."

…

They found the dark skinned Diva at the food court at the mall, with Amani, who was sketching her with a charcoal pencil.

"Hey, white boy! How are play rehearsals going?"

"Good. Would be better with you there, but that's not why we're here."

"Oh? What's up?"

Blaine smiled and handed her a sheet of paper. "We have a gift for you for Sectionals. A good luck present."

She glanced down at the sheet music in her hands. "You wrote this, for me?"

"Yes, Kurt and I both worked on it. We think it would be the perfect solo for you for sectionals."

Amani looked over the lyrics, smiling. "It's definitely you, Love."

She smiled as she read out loud.

Why do I let words control me?

Why can't I just be free?

Why do I listen to voices that aren't mine?

Why do I keep myself locked away?

And why won't this shadow let me shine?

For too long I've let fear control me

I'm tired of trying to outrun the night

I've had enough of being frightened

Now I think it's time I step into the light

I'm breaking out of this shadow

I won't let anything darken my dream

I'm not gonna let fear hold me back anymore

I'm breaking out of this shadow

It's time I step into the light

I'm done letting words rule me

I'm setting my soul free

I'm done hiding this voice inside me

I'm breaking out of this shadow

I'm ready to let my light shine

For too long I've let fear control me

I'm tired of trying to outrun the night

I've had enough of being frightened

Now I think it's time I step into the light

I'm breaking out of this shadow

I won't let anything darken my dream

I'm not gonna let fear hold me back anymore

I'm breaking out of this shadow

And I'm never looking back again

For too long I've let fear control me

I'm tired of trying to outrun the night

I've had enough of being frightened

Now I think it's time I step into the light

And I'm never looking back again


	12. Curtain Calls

Opening night arrived, and Kurt was excited. He couldn't wait to watch his lifemate dominate the stage as Tony tonight. He loved seeing that boy perform almost more than performing himself. He'd presented the younger boy with a bouquet of red and yellow roses when they had arrived at the auditorium earlier.

"Kurt! They're beautiful, but not as beautiful as you!" The pale boy blushed and kissed his cheek.

"Break a leg tonight!"

Now it was just minutes before the curtain would go up, and they were waiting in the wings for their cues. Kurt glanced out at the audience and saw the Warbler's seated all together in one section. Nick and Jeff were front and center, with Thad and Trent just behind them. He frowned when he saw Sebastian sitting on the isle side, but Amani and Mercedes were seated just behind him, so Kurt wasn't too worried about the young immortal getting into too much trouble. He spotted his Dad and Carole sitting with Pam and Josh on the other side of the auditorium.

Music began to play, and the curtain rose on Mike Chang and various football players, and they began to dance around the stage. Kurt stepped out on stage when it was his turn, twirling his baton. He could hear the Dalton boys and Mercedes cheering for him, along with his dad and Carole.

Time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and before he knew it, it was the final scene, and Tony lay dead on the stage. Kurt knew it was an act, but found it hard not to rush to the boy's side when Maria was sobbing over him.

As the curtain dropped, Kurt caught a glimpse of the audience, and frowned. Sebastian was gone. So were Nick and Jeff.

They took their positions for the curtain call, and bowed in unison, and then individually as they were introduced, but Kurt couldn't take his eyes off the three empty seats. Finally they headed backstage when Nick and Jeff came running up, breathless.

"Where is Sebastian?" Kurt asked, a feeling of unease climbing up his spine.

Jeff frowned. "He controlled Nick and made him walk out with him. He was controlling me, too. I couldn't move from my seat until they had left the auditorium! Amani was distracted by some older guy I'd never seen before. When I got outside, Sebastian had Nick pinned against the wall, and was groping him!"

Kurt and Blaine both looked the dark haired Warbler over. "Are you okay, Nick?" Blaine asked.

The other boy growled a little in frustration. "Physically? I'm fine. Emotionally? I"m pissed off! That boy has no respect for lifemates! I want to punch his lights out!"

"Where is he now?" Kurt asked.

Jeff sighed. "Josh came out and found us scuffling with the bastard. He took him for a little walk to talk about the penalty for interfering with lifemates."

Kurt was still tense. How could Amani have been distracted by someone? He was almost three thousand years old. Granted, his lifemate was there, and that can be a distraction in and of itself, but Jeff had said it was an older male.

"Jeff, can you describe the man who distracted Amani?"

"No need," Amani said, sounding a bit contrite as he and Mercedes made their way over to the boys. "It was Smythe's guardian, Mikhail. Lucian told the Smythe's that the only way he'd allow Sebastian to go to school here was if he had a guardian to keep him under control. Mikhail is an old friend of mine who is a good man, but sometimes forgets what he is supposed to be doing. He stopped by my seat to say hello and meet Mercedes."

Kurt frowned. "So this is the second time the weasel has slipped his babysitter?"

Josh came up to them then. "He's been warned. One more incident and he'll be shipped back to his parents, and they will be politely asked to go back to Europe. And thanks to Lucian, I'll be taking over Teddy's self defense classes at Dalton as an extra set of eyes as well."

Kurt breathed a little easier, but was still upset. He and Blaine went to the dressing room to change.

"Do you want to go to Artie's after Party at Breadstix?" Blaine asked as he slipped on his shoes. Kurt was still a bit shaken by Sebastian's antics, and didn't much feel like celebrating.

"No. I want to go back to your place."

…

Three hours later, they lay in each other's arms, Kurt stroking his hands all over his lifemate, needing to reassure himself that he was there, that he was safe, that he was real. They shared soft, gentle kisses, more for mutual comfort than anything amorous at first.

Slowly they allowed themselves to go farther than they'd ever gone before. Blaine smiled at the pale boy. "Are you sure you want to do this, Kurt? We don't have to if you aren't ready."

Kurt's response was to kiss him again, deepening the intimacy. He reached into the side drawer, where he knew Blaine had the necessary items, just in case. He pulled out a small bottle of lube, and settled between the smaller boy's legs. Coating his fingers, he carefully traced the tight ring of muscle, swallowing the other boy's moan.

It was slow, both boys fighting to resist the lifemate urges that had left them unconscious from the pleasure many times before, wanting this first time to be special.

And then they were connected, two bodies moving as one, two hearts beating in sync. Their pleasure built, and rebounded between them, until they were both crying out, the ecstasy too much, and the darkness drew them in once more.

…

The rest of the shows went off without a hitch. When it was Kurt's turn to play Tony, his friends were amazed by his performance. Blaine presented him with a bouquet of roses like the one Kurt had given him. For the moment, Sebastian was being held in check, so there was no more drama (off the stage.)

Before they knew it, Sectionals were just days away, and they were going head to head with Mercedes and the Troubletones. Kurt was excited about his solo, but even more happy that Quinn and Tina were getting partial solos as well. Mr. Schue had finally gotten fed up with Rachel's demanding ways, and had given in when the other two girls had threatened to quit as well if they weren't given the opportunity to be heard.

He and Blaine had worked with Mercedes to perfect the song they had written for her, and Shelby Corcoran had agreed to let her sing it in the competition.

The morning of the competition arrived, and they gathered backstage for their traditional show circle. It seemed kind of strange without Mercedes, Santana, and Brittany, but Kurt knew the girls deserved this chance.

They listened to the first choir, and knew they had them beat, at least. Then the Troubletones performed. The audience went wild for Mercedes' song, and for their other two numbers as well.

And then it was New Directions turn. Tina took the lead on ABC, and the crowd ate it up. Quinn then performed Edge of Glory with the group, and again the crowd loved it. Finally it was time for Kurt's solo. The music began, and Kurt owned the stage.

Someone to hold you too close  
Someone to hurt you too deep  
Someone to sit in your chair  
To ruin your sleep

Someone to need you too much  
Someone to know you too well  
Someone to pull you up short  
To put you through hell

Someone you have to let in  
Someone whose feelings you spare  
Someone who, like it or not  
Will want you to share  
A little, a lot

Someone to crowd you with love  
Someone to force you to care  
Someone to make you come through  
Who'll always be there  
As frightened as you  
Of being alive  
Being alive  
Being alive  
Being alive

Somebody, hold me too close  
Somebody, hurt me too deep  
Somebody, sit in my chair  
And ruin my sleep  
And make me aware  
Of being alive  
Being alive

Somebody, need me too much  
Somebody, know me too well  
Somebody, pull me up short  
And put me through hell  
And give me support  
For being alive  
Make me alive  
Make me alive  
Make me confused  
Mock me with praise  
Let me be used  
Vary my days  
But alone is alone, not alive

Somebody, crowd me with love  
Somebody, force me to care  
Somebody, let me come through  
I'll always be there  
As frightened as you  
To help us survive  
Being alive  
Being alive  
Being alive


	13. Lifemates and Holidays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I obviously know nothing about high school football, which will become apparent in the chapter. Also, I know I haven't written much about Josh Bricker yet, I promise you'll learn more about him in later chapters.
> 
> I switched up the timeline some, but it was necessary for the flow of the story. It also went longer than I expected, but I didn't want to cut it up like I've done with other chapters.
> 
> The songs in this chapter are as follow;
> 
> Garth Brook's The Gift. If you've never heard it, I suggest you look it up on youtube. Kurt or Blaine's voice might have worked better for it, but it's more Sam's style, so I had him sing it.
> 
> Garth Brooks The Friendly Beast. Again Sam sings it, along with Quinn, Puck, Artie, Mike, and Tina.
> 
> Pretty Little Baby Child, by Kenny Rogers, which Blaine sings accompanied by the Warblers. (Again, if you haven't heard it, Listen to it on YouTube, Make sure it's the Kenny Rogers version. You'll understand why it's the perfect song for the Warblers a Capella style!)
> 
> And finally, because we have to have a Klaine Duet, Sleigh Ride.

Kurt was happy. New Directions had won Sectionals, though just barely. The Troubletones had been a very close second. The good news was, Mr. Schue had finally woken up and realized just how much talent they had at McKinley. He had invited the Troubletones to rejoin New Directions, and promised them one number at Regionals and Nationals, should they make it that far. He had also offered Kurt and Blaine a duet for Regionals.

The holidays were quickly approaching, and Kurt had nearly completed his gift shopping, having found gifts for everyone except Santana, Carole, and Blaine. He knew he wanted to get the Latina a locket like the one he had seen her eyeing when they had gone shopping in Toronto over the summer, but hadn't been able to find anything similar here. He'd decided to call Aunt Marguerite and ask her if she could see if the store up there still had it.

He also knew what he wanted to get for Carole, and was going to the mall in Columbus today to pick up the special order china wedding set that was an exact replica of the ones her mother had that had been destroyed when the box they were in during a move from one house to another tumbled out of the poorly secured back end of the moving van.

He still had no idea what to get for Blaine. He was hoping inspiration would strike while he was at the mall. He was going to pick Stephanie up and get there when the stores opened. She was still looking for gifts for her parents and siblings, who were going to fly down from Canada for a few days. Kurt had invited them to spend Christmas day at the Hummel-Hudson abode.

She was standing outside the apartment Dani and Decker had rented for them, two steaming cups from The Lima Bean in her hands when Kurt pulled up. He smiled as she handed him his Nonfat Mocha. "You are a life saver!" He said, taking a big sip.

They drove down to Columbus and joined the crowds filing into the large complex, and headed to the first store on their list to shop for Stephanie's mom and sisters. By the fifth store, Stephanie had finished her shopping, and Kurt had found a few stocking stuffers and add ons, but still hadn't found anything for Blaine.

They decided to pick up the china and deliver everything to the car, grab a couple of bags of blood each, then get lunch and continue shopping. They were carrying their trays through the crowded food court, trying to find an open table, when Kurt bumped into someone, almost dropping his cranberry turkey wrap.

"I'm sorry!" He said, turning to the person who'd dropped their shopping bag. Kurt was startled to find himself face to face with David Karofsky.

"David! What a surprise to see you here."

The larger boy looked at him, obviously shocked as well. "Kurt, uh, hi."

"How are things going at your new school?"

"Okay, I guess. Our football team is going up against McKinley on Friday."

Kurt nodded and smiled. "Yeah, Finn was talking about it. Winner goes to state, right?"

The jock smiled. "Yeah, so you better tell Finn and those other wusses to bring it! We're going to take them down!"

They laughed, and then a voice called out the other boy's name. A look of discomfort passed his face, and then he just grimaced and took a step back. "I gotta go. See ya."

They watched him go, and saw him meet up with a group of boys who probably were the other members of Central High's football team. Kurt sighed. He knew Dave still wasn't comfortable with his sexuality yet, but had hoped he'd at least come to terms with it. With a slight shake of his head, he turned and lead the way to a table that had just opened.

After they ate, they wandered around the mall for another couple of hours, but he still didn't find anything that he thought would be the perfect Christmas gift for his lifemate.

"Come on, Kurt, you still have over a week before Christmas. I'm sure you'll find something." Stephanie said, slipping her arm through his.

They were heading back to the main entrance when he spotted it. He slowed, staring in amazement. It was perfect. Blaine would love it.

…

The last Friday before Christmas vacation, the Glee club had a party and exchanged gifts. Kurt, Blaine, Stephanie, and Finn all agreed they'd save their gifts for each other for Christmas morning, but they brought their gifts for everyone else.

He'd gotten gifts for Mr. Schuester (a musical note lapel pin), Miss Pillsbury (a blue sweater set), Coach Beiste (a spa certificate), Coach Sylvester (a new track suit in dark blue and a more flattering style), and Becky Jackson (an auto biography of Chris Burke) as well.

The girls were all pleased with the gifts Kurt picked out for them. In addition to the locket, he had gotten Santana a red cashmere sweater and a black skirt. He'd gotten Quinn a yellow sweater set, and a bottle of her favorite perfume. For Brittany he had chosen a medium blue knit sweater with a flowery skirt and earrings. Lauren had been harder to shop for, but he had found a black fitted sweater and a white blouse, and fitted black trousers that would flatter her larger frame. Tina had changed up her style radically, going from goth chic to go go dancer, so Kurt had found her two pairs of go go boots, and few retro style accessories. Mercedes loved the hat he picked out for her, as well as the necklaces and earrings. Even Rachel liked the sweater dress he'd picked for her in royal blue, as well as the necklace and earrings.

The boys had been a little harder to shop for. For Mike, he'd gotten the extended edition of a biography about one of his favorite choreographers, Kenny Ortega, as well as tickets to see the traveling tour of The Jabbawockeez dance troupe. He'd gotten Puck some video games and a couple new controllers for his xbox. He'd gotten a new video camera for Artie, as well as a couple of videos by famous cinematographers. His present for Sam was easy. Bastian was opening a branch of Argeneau Inc in Akron, and wanted to hire Sam's dad, who had degrees in engineering and computers. There was also a position for his mother, who was an accountant. The blonde boy had cried and hugged him. Kurt had also purchased back the guitar Sam had hocked to help support his younger brother and sister.

"I couldn't get presents for anyone this year. I spent every penny I had getting stuff for Stacey and Stevie," Sam said, voice quavering. Quinn hugged him, and Kurt just smiled.

"Well, how about you sing for us instead?" Kurt said.

Sam smiled and sat down, thinking for a moment before he began to strum softly.

A poor orphan girl named Maria  
Was walking to market one day  
She stopped for a rest by the roadside  
Where a bird with a broken wing lay  
A few moments passed till she saw it  
For it's feathers were covered with sand  
But soon clean and wrapped it was traveling  
In the warmth of Maria's small hand

She happily gave her last peso  
On a cage made of rushes and twine  
She fed it loose corn from the market  
And watched it grow stronger with time

Now the Christmas Eve service was coming  
And the church shone with tinsel and light  
And all of the town-folks brought presents  
To lay by the manger that night  
There were diamonds and incense  
And perfumes  
In packages fit for a king  
But for one ragged bird in a small cage  
Maria had nothing to bring

She waited till just before midnight  
So no one would see her go in  
And crying she knelt by the manger  
For her gift was unworthy of Him

Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness  
Maria, what brings you to me  
If the bird in the cage is your offering  
Open the door and let me see  
Though she trembled, she did as He asked her  
And out of the cage the bird flew  
Soaring up into the rafters  
On a wing that had healed good as new

Just then the midnight bells rang out  
And the little bird started to sing  
A song that no words could recapture  
Whose beauty was fit for a king

Now Maria felt blessed just to listen  
To that cascade of notes sweet and long  
As her offering was lifted to heaven  
By the very first nightingale's song

As the final notes faded away, they all wiped tears from their eyes and piled in for a group hug, with Sam in the center.

…

The football game was filled with excitement. Both McKinley and Central fought hard, and it was a close game, tied at 14 at the half. By the end of the third quarter, McKinley was up 21-20. Kurt noticed there seemed to be some tension between the Central players as the game went on, and that Karofsky seemed to be taking the brunt of it.

As the clock ticked down the last seconds of the game, Kurt's preternatural hearing was able to pick up the chatter on the field. The linebacker and the quarterback were making crude homosexual jokes, seemingly aimed at the former McKinley jock. Had they found out Karofsky's secret? Kurt felt bad for his former bully, especially since the taunts caused him to lose focus, and got him tackled by Puck. Sam intercepted the ball, and scored a touchdown as the clock ran out.

…

On Christmas Eve Kurt, Blaine, and Finn undertook a secret mission. With Pam, Burt and Carole's permission, they left the house at a little after ten o'clock, driving to the small house in a rundown part of town. Kurt knocked softly, knowing at least one person would still be awake.

Sam opened the door cautiously. "Guys, what are you doing here?"

"Are your brother and sister asleep yet?" Was Kurt's reply.

"Um, yeah. Why?" Kurt just maneuvered the taller boy out of the way and held the door for Finn and Blaine, each of whom were wheeling a bicycle through the door, and then went back out to the car and got the rest of the bags and a large box. There were presents for both of Sam's parents, as well as the teen and younger children. "What are you guys doing?"

"We're just helping Santa out a little," Finn said, smiling.

"Yeah," Blaine added. "His sleigh ran into a little trouble near Kurt's house, so we offered to deliver a few of his gifts for him."

Kurt handed him the box, it was filled with kitchen stuff, as well as a large turkey. "Don't even think about refusing," he said as the blonde boy opened his mouth to do just that. "Remember what I told you last spring. Now, make certain you guys get everything cooking early, because New Directions and The Warblers are going to be helping out at the homeless shelter tomorrow evening, and performing as well. We've got gifts for all the kids there, too, and I want you to help pass them out."

Sam smiled, tears once again glistening on his lashes. "I'm so lucky to have friends like you."

Kurt hugged him, and stepped back, just as John and Melissa Evans, Sam's parents, came down to see what was going on. When they saw the gifts and the food, they were on the verge of politely refusing, but Kurt wouldn't have it, and though he usually preferred not to mess with people's minds, he slipped into the older couple's thoughts and brushed away any trace of shame or embarrassment, and replaced it with warmth and acceptance. Once they learned about the plans for helping out at the homeless shelter, they were much more relaxed.

…

Christmas morning arrived, and they all woke up at Finn's childlike excitement, calling out as he ran down the stairs. "Presents!"

Kurt smiled as he sat up, and looked over at the inflatable mattress where Blaine was groaning and trying to burrow back under the covers. The Hummel-Hudson house was filled to the brim. Blaine, his mother, and Josh Bricker were staying with them for a few days, as were Dani, Decker, and Stephanie, while the rest of their family stayed in their apartment while they were in town. They would arrive shortly to exchange gifts and spend the day with Kurt's family.

Amani was also staying with them, at least for the one night. Mercedes was going to join them for Breakfast before returning to her family. Her parents didn't know about her lifemate yet. They were planning on telling them after graduation. Not about the whole immortal business, of course, but about their relationship.

Finn waited (im)patiently as Kurt made coffee and hot chocolate while they waited for everyone else to make their way downstairs. Kurt, Carole, Stephanie and Dani quickly began making breakfast, and the immortals all grabbed bags of blood before the guests arrived. Everything was ready when Mercedes and the McGills got there.

Burt and Carole really liked Stephanie's family, and made plans to visit them during spring break. Once breakfast was finished, Finn bounced eagerly into the living room, and the unwrapping began.

Kurt hardly noticed what he received, too nervous about Blaine's reaction. Finally, the curly haired boy opened the small square box.

"Oh Kurt! It's perfect!" He exclaimed as he held up the gold pocket watch. It was antique, with a rose carved on the lid. "Thank you!"

Kurt breathed a sigh of relief. "Open it, there's an inscription."

The shorter boy smiled and read what was written there. "Forever, one minute at a time..."

They hugged, and kissed chastely, aware of the audience they had.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Kurt and Carole, along with Stephanie, Pam, and Mrs. McGill, cooked up a storm. A lot of things had been prepped the day before, but they were also cooking enough food to take to the shelter later. Sam and his family hadn't been the only victims of the local economy, and Kurt had heard that the shelter had more people to feed this year, and not enough donations. Not only were they cooking their own Turkey, but two more for the shelter. Each of the New Direction girls had offered to help out by cooking extra food to bring.

At four o'clock, they arrived at the shelter, surprised to find Sue Sylvester already there setting up. "What? Just because I'm a Scrooge doesn't mean I can't show a little compassion now and then. Besides, my sister Jean and I used to volunteer here every year, and she'd come back to haunt me if I didn't keep it up now that she's gone."

As they began bringing in the food, the shelter manager, an older lady who looked somewhat harried, was stunned by the excess. She thanked them profusely for their generosity, and again when they began unloading the gifts from Burt's truck. Along with the toys, there were blankets, clothes, boots, shoes, toiletries, and little bundles of treats.

The Warblers arrived shortly after, and Kurt was relieved to see that Sebastian was not with them. The young immortal menace was spending the holidays with his family in Europe. He was happy to see Jeff and Nick, though. They talked on the phone often, and met up every couple of weekends, but they really hadn't gotten the chance to hang out much since school started.

At five o'clock, the doors opened, and the families who had been waiting were greeted by the Warblers, who were singing Winter Wonderland. The New Directions happily helped to serve the meal, and took turns singing. Rachel, who despite being Jewish, loved Christmas songs, and sang a beautiful rendition of O Holy Night. Then Sam, Quinn, Puck, Artie, Tina and Mike took the makeshift stage.

Sam and Puck played guitar, and Sam sang the first verse.

Jesus our brother kind and good  
Was humbly born in a stable of wood.  
And the friendly beasts around him stood  
Jesus our brother, kind and good.

Puck took the second verse.

"I," said the donkey, all shaggy and brown,  
"I carried his mother up hill and down  
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town. "  
"I," said the donkey, all shaggy and brown.

And then Quinn's beautiful voice rang out.

"I," said the cow, all white and red  
"I gave him my manger for his bed  
I gave him my hay to pillow his head. "  
"I," said the cow, all white and red

And then Mike began, and though he wasn't the strongest singer, his voice suited the song well.

"I," said the sheep, with the curly horn,  
"I gave him my wool for his blanket warm  
He wore my coat on that Christmas morn. "  
"I," said the sheep, with the curly horn.

And then Tina's pure voice came in.

"I," said the dove, from the rafters high  
"I cooed him to sleep so he should not cry  
We cooed him to sleep, my love and I  
"I," said the dove, from the rafters high.

And then Artie sang.

And "I" said the camel all yellow and black  
Over the desert upon my back  
I brought him a gift in the wise men's pack  
"I" said the camel all yellow and black

They finished in perfect harmony.

Thus every beast, remembering it well  
In the stable dark was so proud to tell  
Of the gift that they gave Emmanuel  
The gift that they gave Emmanuel  
The gift that they gave Emmanuel

The families gathered there applauded enthusiastically. As Sam, his dad, and Burt began passing out presents, Mr. Schue and Sue did a duet of Up on the Housetop, followed by Puck and Finn singing Santa Clause is coming to town. And then Blaine sang, accompanied by the Warblers.

Pretty little baby, lying in a manger  
Staring at the strangers, who've come so many miles  
They were told to follow the star up in the heavens  
And it brought them to the stable of the little baby child.

Could this be the kingdom of the high and mighty  
Is this the ruler, born here tonight  
Should we lay our treasures, here by the cradle  
Oh, you must be the savior, pretty little baby child.

Sometimes the greatest of miracles  
Come from the smallest of things  
They knew when they knelt there beside him  
They were looking in the eyes of the king.  
And that his tiny little fingers would bring us together  
For ever and ever, pretty little baby child.

Wonder of wonders, there in the darkness  
The light of the promise, how it shines from his eyes  
The angels were singing the hallelujah chorus  
To the savior before us. Pretty little baby child.

Sometimes the greatest of miracles  
Come from the smallest of things  
They knew when they knelt there beside him  
They were looking in the eyes of the king.  
And that his tiny little fingers would bring us together  
For ever and ever, pretty little baby child.  
For ever and ever pretty little baby child...

The Warblers sang a few more songs, including Jingle Bells, by request. Santana sang Santa Baby, Brittany and Tina sang Christmas Wrap, and Artie sang White Christmas. Even Ms. Pillsbury got into the spirit, the normally shy red head singing I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause. Then it was time for Kurt and Blaine's duet.

(Kurt, Blaine, both)

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling,  
Ring ting tingling too  
Come on, it's lovely weather  
For a sleigh ride together with you

Outside the snow is falling  
And friends are calling "yoohoo", (Yoohoo!)  
Come on, it's lovely weather  
For a sleigh ride together with you.

Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap,  
Let's go, Let's look at the show,  
We're riding in a wonderland of snow.  
Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap,  
It's grand, Just holding your hand,  
We're gliding along with a song  
Of a wintry fairy land

Our cheeks are nice and rosy  
And comfy cozy are we  
We're snuggled up together  
Like two birds of a feather would be

Let's take that road before us  
And sing a chorus or two  
Come on, it's lovely weather  
For a sleigh ride together with you.

There's a birthday party  
At the home of Farmer Gray  
It'll be the perfect ending a perfect day

We'll be singing the songs  
We love to sing without a single stop  
At the fireplace while we watch  
The chestnuts pop. pop! pop! pop!

There's a happy feeling  
Nothing in the world can buy  
When they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie

It'll nearly be like a picture print by Currier and Ives  
These wonderful things are the things  
We remember all through our lives!

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling,  
Ring ting tingling too  
Come on, it's lovely weather  
For a sleigh ride together with you  
Outside the snow is falling  
And friends are calling "yoohoo", (Yoohoo!)  
Come on, it's lovely weather  
For a sleigh ride together with you.

It's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you

Once everyone was fed, and all the presents opened, both New Directions and The Warblers sang So this is Christmas (War is Over).

All in all, it was the perfect Christmas.

…

New Years Eve, New Directions, plus Nick and Jeff and a few Cheerios had a party at Blaine's house, chaperoned by Pam Anderson and Josh Bricker. Blaine was surprised when the older immortal pulled him aside shortly before midnight.

"Listen, Blaine, we both know your mom is my lifemate, but I'm kind of old fashioned," They both grinned at the joke. "So, I wanted to ask your permission to marry your mother."

Blaine grinned and hugged him. "Permission granted."

As the clock struck midnight, Blaine stood, wrapped in Kurt's arms, as they watched Josh get down on one knee.

…

Kurt was awoken early on the morning of January second by the ringing of his phone. He didn't recognize the phone number, but answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Is this Kurt Hummel?" Asked an agitated voice. A vaguely familiar voice.

"Yes, this is Kurt. Who is this?"

"It's Paul Karofsky, David's dad. I didn't know who else to call. I'm sorry." The older man's voice broke. Kurt sat up.

"Mr. Karofsky? What's wrong?"

There was a sob on the other end of the line. "Dave tried to kill himself last night."


	14. Friends Help Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm stealing one of the songs from season four and using it here!

Kurt sat beside the hospital bed, waiting for the boy to wake up. He had been sedated, and his arms had been strapped to the bed. Kurt could see the bruising around the larger boy's throat, the raw red scrapes from the rope. He felt bile rise in his throat, but forced it back down.

He and Dave may not have always gotten along, but Kurt understood him, understood what it was like trying to come to terms with who you are. He had hoped that the other boy's therapy had helped him get past this, but apparently Dave had stopped going over the summer. Paul, his dad, hadn't even known that Dave had been seeing a therapist until their office had called to say he'd missed an appointment. Dave hadn't even told his parents he was gay yet. Kurt had felt bad for the older man. This was not the way you were supposed to find out something like this.

Burt, Kurt, and Blaine had spent most of the day before talking with the elder Karofsky, helping him understand what was going on with his son. They'd been taking turns sitting at the boy's bedside, waiting for him to wake up. It shouldn't be much longer now, Kurt could tell. His breathing pattern had changed, and he could hear the other boy's heart speed up as he fought not to wake up.

"David, it's okay," he said softly. "You're not alone. There are people who care about you here. Wake up."

The jock slowly opened his eyes, and immediately began to cry. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm so sorry!"

Kurt just shook his head. "You already apologized to me. Save that for your father, who is worried sick about you."

Dave just cried harder, his voice raspy, and cracking as he spoke. "How did you do it? How did you not break after what I did to you?"

Kurt leaned forward and took his hand. "I had my dad, my friends, and my family to lean on. They love me just as I am. They made me stronger."

The larger boy gripped his hand tight. "My dad..."

"Is waiting for you. He knows, Dave. He doesn't think any less of you. He's been here through out the night, waiting for you to wake up, so he can tell you how much he loves you. He'll be back soon, he had to go home and shower and change his clothes. He's worried about you though."

"He still loves me?"

Kurt smiled. "Very much. He's heartbroken that you didn't think you could talk to him about this, though."

They were silent for a couple of minutes, before Kurt continued. "What happened, Dave? What pushed you to this point?"

The other boy shuddered. "Some of the guys on the team saw me talking to you at the mall before Christmas. They asked me who you were. I told them you used to be on the McKinley football team, that you were the kicker. They started making cracks about you. I told them to lay off, but they wouldn't stop. And then they saw you at the game, and started making cracks about my 'boyfriend' watching."

His voice cracked a bit, and Kurt helped him take a sip of water. Kurt was aware that the other boy still apparently had a crush on him. He thought about slipping into his mind and dampening those feelings as he had done before, but knew that was only a temporary solution. He'd already begun working on something a bit more permanent. "And what did you say to them?"

The larger boy looked ashamed. "I lied. I told them I wasn't gay, but they wouldn't stop. And then New Years Eve, one of them posted some BS on Facebook, saying they had seen me coming out of the therapist's office last June, and it just went on from there. I couldn't take it. I wanted to die." He sobbed again.

Kurt squeezed his hand. "You didn't want to die, Dave. You just wanted the pain and the fear to go away. Well, guess what? There is nothing to fear now. Your dad knows, and he doesn't care that you are gay. He just wants you to be happy and healthy. He wants you to find someone who loves you as much as he does. He wants you to find someone who will love and accept you and all of your perfect imperfections, who will make you laugh and smile, and treat you like you are the most important person on the planet. And you will find someone, Dave. You just have to accept yourself, first."

David tried to raise his hands to wipe at his tears, only just realizing that he was restrained. Kurt reached out and grabbed a couple of tissues, and wiped his eyes for him.

"I can't go back to that school, not after this."

Kurt shrugged. "So go to a different school. Hell, come back to McKinley for that matter. You didn't have to leave, you know. I would never have told anyone."

"I just wanted to finish my senior year without people speculating about me."

"Come back to McKinley. They're all going to know now. You can help make a difference there. We'll start a chapter of PFLAG, and make it safe for kids like us to come out, so that no one else goes through what you and I have been through."

Dave shook his head. "I'm not strong enough. I'm not you, Kurt. I don't know if I can face them."

"You're not alone, Dave. You have friends."

"What friends? My only real friend was Azimio, and when he finds out I'm gay, he won't want to have anything to do with me."

"Well, if he feels that way, then he was never really your friend. But you do have other friends, Dave."

"Who?"

"Me, Stephanie. The other football players who are also in Glee. My dad. Your dad."

"But..."

"No buts! You have friends, Dave, whether you know it or not. Now shut up and listen to the song your friends wrote for you."

Kurt reached over and pushed play on the portable CD player on the table beside the bed, and a beautiful piano instrumental began to play. The voices of the New Directions filled the room.

Mmm...Ohhh  
We feel,  
We hear,  
Your pain,  
Your fear  
But we're here,  
To say,  
Who you are,  
Is okay

And you don't have to go through this on your own  
You're not alone

You have more friends than you know  
Some who surround you  
Some you are destined to meet  
You'll have more love in your life

Don't let go, give it time

Take it slow  
Those who love you the most, may need more time to grow

It's gonna be okay (It's gonna be okay)  
You have more friends than you know

Be brave,  
Be strong  
You are loved,  
You belong

Some day soon (Some day soon)  
You will see (You will see)

You're exactly

Who you're supposed to be

And you don't have to go through this on your own (Ooh!)  
You're not (You're not!)  
Alone (You're not alone, oh, no)

You have more friends than you know  
Some who surround you  
Some you are destined to meet  
You'll have more love in your life  
Don't let go

Give it time (Give it time)  
Take it slow (Take it slow)  
Those who love you the most  
(May need more time to grow)  
It's gonna be okay (Gonna be okay)  
You have more friends than you know

Be who you are  
Learn to forgive

It's not about who you love

But how, how you live! (But how you live!)

Ooooh!

(You have more!) friends than you know (Than you know!)  
Some who surround you (Yeah!)  
Some you are destined (to meet)

You'll have more (More!) love in your life

Don't let go, give it time (Give it time)

Take it slow (Take it slow)

Those who love you the most (may need more time to grow)

It's gonna be okay ( It's gonna be okay)

You have more friends than you..

Know.. ( Ooooh..)

It's gonna be okay

"Just think about it, Dave. Come back to McKinley, help make a difference, and start healing yourself."

…

School started back two days later. Karofsky was still in the hospital, but would be released the next day. His dad had already made arrangements for him to transfer back to McKinley.

As Kurt had speculated, everyone had heard what had happened. He'd also heard all of the rumors going around, and it had made him angry. Things had reached a boiling point at lunch that day, and Kurt had had enough. He exploded on a group of juniors who had been saying that Karofsky had been sexually assaulted, and that was why he had tried to kill himself.

"Can't you people just mind your own business? The truth is bad enough without you all embellishing on it! Karofsky is going through a hard time right now, and he doesn't need people making it worse! You people don't understand how easy you have it! You don't have to worry about how people are going to treat you! But people like us, who are a little different? It's hard to be who we are, because people like you can't accept our differences! Well guess what? Being different is what makes people so amazing! Imagine how boring life would be if everyone was exactly the same! That's why you people have to tear us down, because you can't handle how beautiful being an individual really is! You should all be ashamed of your selves!"

He grabbed his lunch and stormed out of the cafeteria, followed by the entire Glee club. "Yo, Hummel, wait up!"

Kurt turned to face the large boy who had called out to him. "What do you want, Azimio?"

The dark skinned boy just stopped in front of him. "Is it true, what I heard about Dave?"

"I don't know, Azimio, what exactly did you hear? Cause there seems to be a lot of bull going around."

The jock looked down at his feet. "Is it true that the reason he tried to kill himself was because he's gay?"

"Not my story to tell."

The boy looked up at the pale boy, a serious expression on his face. "I just don't understand. I thought he was my friend. Why wouldn't he tell me something like that?"

Kurt studied him for a moment, and then sighed. "Look, for some people, it's hard for them to accept being gay. They are taught from a young age that it's wrong, that it's an abomination. They are afraid of themselves, sometimes even hate themselves for something they can't control. I'm not saying that is what is going on with Dave, cause like I said, that's not my story to tell. But if you are his friend, you'll let him tell you in his own time, and you'll accept him, no matter what."

The football player considered his words for several seconds, and nodded his head. "Thanks, for standing up for my boy. It should have been me."

"Yes, it should have. But there is still time."

"I'm sorry I've been such an ass to you." He looked at Stephanie, as well. "And to you too. I'm sorry about the dodge ball incident. I'm sorry to all of you for the way I treated you the last couple of years."

Kurt nodded. "Apology accepted. But you also need to apologize to Dave, and make sure he understands that you accept him just the way he is."

"I will. Thanks, again." He turned and walked away. Blaine took Kurt's hand as they watched him go.

"Has anyone ever told you you are such a saint?" Kurt burst out laughing at his lifemate's statement.

"Sweetie, I think you might just be a little biased."

Blaine was about to respond when another voice cut in. "Kurt Hummel, you over dressed Peacock!"

The pale boy turned to glare at the red headed boy walking towards them. "Rory Flanagan! You fashion challenged miscreant! What the hell are you doing in my school?"

The two boys continued to glare at each other until they were mere inches apart. And then they both broke out into giggles and hugged each other. "Guys, this is Rory, he and I have been pen pals for ages. He's an immortal from Ireland. Rory, this is my lifemate, Blaine, and our friends."

He introduced New Directions. "Seriously, though, what are you doing here?"

"Well, actually, I'm here for three reasons. First, Lucian asked the European council to send him some hunters, because apparently several of your north American enforces have gone missing down in Texas recently. My Da volunteered to come over. And my Mum, she's going to be working with Bastian in New York for a while on some research project. They decided to send me here while they help out."

"That's only two reasons, and doesn't explain why you are in Lima." Kurt said, putting an arm around Blaine.

"Well, the third reason is because of her," he said, pointing to Brittany. "Seems like we may be distant cousins."

Everyone turned to look at the blonde girl. Kurt knew that she was related to one of the immortal families, but hadn't realized that his immortal pen pal was from the same family line.

"Well, small world, it seems."


	15. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'll be bringing in a couple of new characters this chapter. Again, they are Cannon in the Argeneau series, though one of them wasn't named. The first is Kurt's Grandmother, Mary Delacort (who we haven't really learned much about yet,) the other is a sibling of Eshe and Amani.
> 
> Also bringing in another Glee cannon character.
> 
> Anyone spot the nod to one of my other favorite paranormal romance authors in this chapter?
> 
> I've always wondered, when Blaine transferred to McKinley, where did he live? I'm not sure how they work it in Ohio, but everywhere I've ever lived, they had boundaries that dictate where you can go to school. Kurt wouldn't have had a problem going to Dalton even if it was in another town, because Dalton was a private school, but McKinley wasn't, so did Blaine's parents move to Lima, or did Blaine move in with someone?

The first week back from Christmas vacation was eventful. Rory joined New Directions, and had an amazing voice that had all the girls (except Santana) swooning. Kurt was glad to have yet another young immortal to talk with.

David Karofsky returned to McKinley, and rejoined the football team. All of the football players, both those in Glee and those not, welcomed him back. The entire team had a meeting in the locker room, (which Kurt crashed,) and talked about how things needed to change in regards to bullying. Kurt was slightly disappointed that Karofsky hadn't actually said that he was gay, at least not out right anyway, but after the meeting, he saw Karofsky and Azimio talking quietly. He could have listened in with his preternatural hearing, but didn't want to intrude, especially when he saw Dave breakdown and cry on his best friend's shoulder, and the darker skinned jock hugging him awkwardly.

On Thursday, Uncle Lucian had called to say he was sending a hunter from the European council to help keep an eye on things, along with Decker, Josh Bricker and Amani d'Aureus. Actually, the hunter was Amani's older brother, Damion. He would arrive on Friday and be staying with his brother in Westerville.

Kurt and Blaine, and Mercedes drove down to Westerville Friday afternoon to meet Amani and Damion, and have dinner together at Blaine's mother's house, along with Pam and Josh.

Amani was as excited to introduce Mercedes to his brother as she was to meet more of her lifemate's family.

"Well," Damion said on a laugh as they drove from Amani's apartment near Dalton to the Anderson home. "Marguerite was certainly correct when she said there must be something in the water around here. So many people finding lifemates."

Kurt and the others all turned to look at him (though Kurt quickly turned back to the road. Good thing they were stopped at a red light.). "Marguerite talked about lifemates here in Ohio?"

"Yes, she said something about our kind needing to broaden their horizons to find their lifemates, and that more of us should visit this region."

The four younger immortals all exchanged a glance. Marguerite Argeneau had the unique ability to know where to send someone to find their lifemates. If she suggested Damion should come here, then there had to be a potential lifemate for the immortal in the area. But who?

"Well, I'll just say congratulations now, brother mine." Amani just laughed as he saw his older brother's confused look.

Dinner was entertaining, with the three much older immortals telling humorous stories about things they had seen throughout history. Mercedes had almost snorted soda out her nose when Amani talked about meeting Da Vinci, and what a practical joker the famed artist was.

"It's true! He painted a picture of a naked arse and propped it in his window to dry, and when the neighbor complained, he said the man must be blind, that it was a picture of hills that he had not finished yet. He did paint over it, and when he finished, it did look like a hilly landscape!"

They all laughed at that.

"Oh, by the way, Blaine," his mother said, trying to sound casual. "I spoke to Cooper today, and I told him about the wedding."

Blaine stiffened up a little at the mention of his older brother. "What did he say?"

Pam sighed. "He was...upset at first, but he accepted it once I explained how happy I was."

Blaine could tell there was more to the story than that, but let it go. He didn't want to upset his mom. "Does dad know?"

"My lawyer is going to contact him on Monday."

Blaine frowned a little. "Well, he will probably be glad to hear he won't have to pay alimony for much longer."

There was an awkward silence for a couple of minutes, and Kurt patted his lifemate on the back, then decided to lighten things up. "Speaking of the wedding, I think it is so romantic that you want to get married on Valentine's Day! Have you picked out your wedding dress yet? And who is making the cake?"

Pam smiled at him. She was the professional wedding planner, but Kurt had almost as much experience as her. "I've narrowed the gown down to two choices. I was going to ask you, Stephanie, and Mercedes to join me tomorrow afternoon to make the final decision. As for the cake, Josh is going to make it. He owns a bakery in Vancouver, British Columbia."

The three teens looked at the ruggedly handsome immortal in surprise.

"You're a baker?" Mercedes asked.

The immortal just shrugged. "Not so much anymore, but I still occasionally make wedding cakes. I opened my first bakery in New York in nineteen twenty-one. Before that, it was just something of a hobby."

"But, if you're so old, I thought you would have stopped eating by then." Blaine said.

"For the most part, I did, but I would eat now and then as a way of replenishing blood faster, so I wouldn't have to feed so often. As I said, baking started out as a hobby, mostly just making breads and rolls. I didn't move into wedding cakes until the nineteen thirties. I was bored, so went to culinary school to learn how to make other things. I discovered I was actually pretty good at cake decorating."

Kurt could understand. Living virtually forever meant that you had all the time you wanted to learn new skills. "What other occupations have you had? Uncle Lucian said you were well trained in martial arts."

Josh smiled. "I started out as a blacksmith, but that only lasted about two decades. Since then I've been a steward, a soldier, a merchant, a cowboy, a horse breeder, and a baker. I'm still the last two, actually. As for the martial arts, I lived in Japan and China for over a hundred years, and learned various types of karate and ninjitzu. Since then I've mastered several other forms of martial arts as well."

"Awesome. Kurt knows how to use Sai Swords!" Mercedes bragged, smiling at her best friend.

"Nice. I'd like to see that some day," Josh said.

…

After dinner, they dropped Amani and Damion back off at Amani's, and then drove back to Lima. Kurt could tell that his Lifemate was still a little worked up about his brother and father being brought up. Bastian had paid James Anderson a visit while the businessman had been in New York, and made certain the man would leave his younger son alone from now on, but Blaine still felt uncomfortable when ever the man was mentioned. Kurt still wasn't certain what Blaine's issue was with his older brother, he never talked about him.

They dropped Mercedes off at her house, then headed home. "So, are you ever going to talk to me about Cooper?"

Blaine shrugged. "Not much to tell. In my father's eye, Coop can do no wrong. He's ten years older than me, almost eleven actually, and by the time my parents had divorced, he had moved out and went to school in California. He's been in a few TV commercials, so you'll probably recognize him if and when you see him."

Kurt glanced over at him briefly before turning back to the road. "That's not really telling me anything, Blaine."

Blaine sighed. "We never really were close, even when I was younger. He was always off with his friends or playing sports. When he was around, he was always condescending and criticizing me. After the divorce, I rarely saw him, and after I came out, he became even more distant. After my attack, he stopped visiting all together. That time last year at Christmas had been the first time I even heard from him at all in almost two years."

Kurt reached over and squeezed his lifemate's hand as they pulled into the driveway. "Fortunately for you, and your mom, you have way more family now than you had before. So you don't really need to worry about two people who can't see how wonderful you are."

Blaine smiled, and leaned over to place a soft kiss on his boyfriend's lips. "You're amazing. And you always know how to make me feel better."

…

Saturday was bright and surprisingly warm for January. Kurt, Blaine, Mercedes, Stephanie, and Pam had driven to Columbus to make the final decision on Pam's gown. After lunch at the Italian bistro across the parking lot, they headed to Georgio's Bridal. Georgio Santini himself smiled when they made their entrance, instantly recognizing Kurt and Stephanie from their previous visit.

"Ah, the pleasant young man who knows his Vera Wang! So nice to see you again! And your lovely friend!" He shook hands, and kissed Pam's hand.

"Ms. Gardella," He addressed her, using her maiden name, which was also the name she used for business purposes. "So happy to see you again, my dear."

"Georgio! I've brought these amazing young people to help me decide between the two gowns."

"Of course! Come, Lissette will assist you with changing. I shall show your guest to the lounge and have Alison bring them some refreshments!"

The four teens were served tea and lemon bars as they waited. As Pam stepped out in the first gown, Blaine almost choked on his pastry. "Oh wow, mom! You look beautiful!"

The first gown was a Christian Siriano creation, and rather than traditional white, it was a pale silver, covered in crystals sown into various designs. There were butterflies, humming birds, flowers, and abstract shapes. Kurt studied her from all angles. "It is beautiful, and it flatters your figure nicely, but I don't know. Let's see the second one."

The second gown, also a Siriano, was a pale coral color, with gold embroidery, and small pearls and crystals in swirling patterns along the skirt and bodice. The color made the woman's skin glow with almost a radiant brightness.

"Oh my Gaga, Pam! It's perfect!" Kurt exclaimed. Mercedes and Stephanie agreed.

"You have to wear this dress, mom!" Blaine said, hugging her.

Pam laughed and turned to Georgio. "Well, I guess that decides that. Thank you, Georgio. It's perfect."

…

On the drive back to Lima, the four teens talked about Damion, and who his lifemate could possibly be.

"What if it's Quinn? She's the only one in Glee who isn't actually dating someone right now. And she deserves someone who will treat her well." Mercedes offered.

"I don't know, I haven't met Damion, so I can't be sure," Stephanie hedged. "I don't think it's her though. I don't think it's any of the girls in Glee."

"Well, maybe it's a member of the staff. Coach Beiste, maybe?" Kurt said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Or Coach Sylvester." Blaine suggested. All four teens broke out in laughter.

"Poor Damion," Mercedes said, wiping a tear from her eye.

They dropped the girls off at their homes, and continued on to the Hummel-Hudson house.

"Who's car is that?" Blaine asked, spying the unfamiliar vehicle parked in front of the house. It was hard to miss; cherry cola red, sleek, and made for speed.

Kurt had practically been raised in a garage, and had never seen anything like it. "I don't know. It looks like a prototype car. It's beautiful, though."

They parked in the driveway, and headed inside. Kurt let out a shriek of happiness when he spotted the woman sitting at the kitchen counter, talking to Carole. The woman had dark auburn hair two shades darker than Kurt's that cascaded down to her hips in waves and curls, and eyes two shades lighter than Blaine's. She was dressed in Hippie Chic with loose jeans,and a flowery tunic shirt, and even had a band of daisies crowning her head.

"Grandma Mary! Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?" He hugged her tight.

"Well, I missed Tricia's wedding because I was deep in the Amazon jungle, doing research on the effects of deforestation on the native wildlife and plants, and didn't have cellphone reception, so I didn't know about it until just last week. She was pretty mad at me for that, but she forgave me. Anyway, I was going to go up and visit her for a while, but she and Teddy are still on their honeymoon, so I thought I'd visit you for a couple weeks, instead. Now who is this handsome young man with you?"

"Grandma, this is Blaine, my lifemate. Blaine, this is my grandmother, Mary Delacort."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am." The curly haired boy said, reaching out to shake her hand.

"Oh, please darling, don't Ma'am me. Call me Mary." She pulled him into a hug. "My my, I take a little two year long expedition into the jungle, and come back to find not only has one of my daughters found her lifemate, but also her father, my son in law, and one of my grandsons!"

"Mary!" Burt exclaimed, just getting home from work. Finn was behind him, most likely just getting back from Rachel's.

"Burt, looking handsome as always! And this must be Finn! So nice to meet you, welcome to the family, though I suppose it's a bit late for that. I've just been having the most lovely conversation with your mother about you!"

…

"Wow, your grandmother is..." Blaine said later that night, trying to find the right word.

"Unexpected?" Kurt offered.

"That works. She's definitely a contradiction, isn't she? She dresses like a hippie, is a wildlife conservationist and global activist, and drives a hundred and fifty thousand dollar car. What did she say it was again?"

"A Maserati prototype car. It runs on hydrogen instead of gas, and has zero emissions."

"Amazing. Your family is so interesting, and I still haven't met everyone yet. I did meet a lot of them at the family reunion, but there were just too many to get to know any of them well enough!"

"True, but remember, immortal, so we have plenty of time."

…

The warm weather continued throughout the weekend and into Monday. Everyone seemed to be in such a good mood as Kurt moved through the halls towards his locker before lunch. While the hockey team didn't seem to have gotten the memo on bullying, the football players had been much nicer to Kurt, and he no longer dreaded getting a slushie to the face.

He was putting away his French and History books, and grabbing his science book so he could finish his assignment in the library after lunch, when he heard someone call out his name. He turned to see Damion walking towards him.

He smiled at the much older immortal. "Damion, what's up?"

"Just familiarizing myself with the area, and thought I'd stop in and say hello, and meet the rest of your friends."

"Well, I'm heading to lunch right now. Most of my friends will be there. You're welcome to sit with us." He knew the older man wouldn't actually eat anything.

Mercedes was the first to spot them as they entered the cafeteria. "Kurt, Damion! Hi!"

Kurt waved back at her, and sent Damion over while he got his lunch. By the time he got to the table, most of the New Directions had arrived and been introduced to the new comer. Kurt was interested to see if any of the Glee girls was the immortal's lifemate, but he didn't seem to be paying any attention to any of them, other than to answer questions.

Kurt was about halfway through his lunch when Stephanie nudged him with her foot, and nodded towards the older immortal, who seemed to be staring at someone across the room as he absently munched on a carrot stick he'd pilfered from Kurt's tray. Shocked, the countertenor followed the dark skinned male's line of vision, and was less surprised than he thought he would be when he saw who the man was looking at. Kurt turned an inquisitive eye back to Stephanie, who nodded her head. So, this was the mystery lifemate, and Kurt actually felt relieved.

"Would you like me to introduce you to them?" Kurt asked Damion, who looked back at Kurt, slightly shell shocked. The pale boy just smiled and stood, walking to the table where several jocks were sitting, Damion following them.

"Dave, I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor? My friend here would like a tour of the school, especially the football field. Would you mind showing him around? His name is Damion d'Aureus. Damion, this is David Karofsky."

Karofsky looked up at the tall, dark male standing beside Kurt, and found it suddenly too warm inside the cafeteria. "Uh, sure, Kurt. No problem."

Kurt watched them go, a smile on his face, as Mercedes, Tina, and Stephanie joined him.

"Karofsky? Really?" Mercedes said, a touch of surprise in her voice.

"What about Karofsky?" Blaine asked, just now arriving for lunch.

"He's Damion's lifemate." Kurt stated, turning to face his own lifemate. "Why are you so late to lunch?"

Blaine looked a bit flustered. "Well, I was at my locker, putting up my books, when I got something of a surprise."

"Oh?"

"Uh, yeah. Guess who showed up out of no where?"

"Who?"

Before Blaine could answer, a very attractive man with bright blue eyes and dark hair moved up behind him. Kurt recognized him immediately from those credit rating commercials, as did several other people in the cafeteria.

"So, Blaine, is this your boyfriend?"

Blaine sighed, looking less than happy as he said, "Kurt Hummel, this is my brother, Cooper Anderson."


	16. Really, Grandma?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Major plot twist coming up! Mwuhahaha!

Kurt smiled at Cooper Anderson. "It's nice to meet you. I love your commercials. So, why did you drop out of Blaine's life when he needed you most?"

Blaine looked at his lifemate in surprise. Kurt ignored him, focusing on the older man, who had the good grace to look guilty.

"I deserved that," Cooper said. "When I found out about the stunt dad pulled this last summer, I was really upset with him. We had an argument."

"Yet it took you seven months to come check up on your brother and make sure he was alright. Look, Blaine and I need to get to class now. We'll met you at your mother's house this evening and talk about it. Perhaps by then you'll figure out a proper apology for him, and your mother."

Before the older man could reply, Kurt took Blaine's hand and lead him out of the cafeteria. Neither of them spoke until they reached the choir room, and Kurt pulled the shorter boy into a hug. "Are you okay?"

Blaine sighed and held him tighter. "I'm okay. It was just a shock for him to show up like this."

"I know, sweetie. Don't worry about him for right now. Like I said, we'll meet at your mom's house tonight, and if he doesn't have a good excuse for ignoring you when you needed him most, then I will personally make sure he removes himself permanently."

Blaine laughed softly. "I love you."

"I love you too, and no one has the right to make you feel bad. I mean it."

...

After school, Kurt and Blaine dropped by Hummel Tire and Lube and let Kurt's dad know what was going on with Cooper, and then made the nearly two hour drive to Pam Anderson's home.

No one was home yet when they arrived. Blaine had texted his mother earlier, and was informed that she and Josh were making floral choices for the wedding, and would be home around six. Cooper was apparently staying at a hotel in Columbus, and would be arriving soon.

Kurt and Blaine began making dinner while they waited, and had just put the Chicken Parmesan in the oven when the older Anderson sibling got there.

They each got something to drink and sat down at the kitchen counter to talk. "Look, Squirt, I know I've been a lousy brother to you, and I know I can never make that up to you, but if you'll let me try and explain things, I hope maybe we can start over."

Blaine looked at his brother, seeing the sincerity on his face. "I'm listening." Kurt took his hand and squeezed it as his brother began speaking.

"When you were born, I was already almost eleven years old, and I had my friends and my sports, and you were just a baby, and couldn't play with us. And then when you were big enough to play, I was too busy being an average teenage boy, falling all over myself to impress the girls."

Both Blaine and Kurt rolled their eyes at that statement. Cooper continued on. "I never meant to seem like a condescending jerk, or to criticize you. Believe it or not, I was trying to help you, because I knew how demanding and critical dad was. I thought, in my own arrogant way, that if I told you what you were doing wrong, you could avoid dad's displeasure. It wasn't until last summer that I realized that I had been almost as bad as he was."

"But why did you stop visiting after I came out? Why didn't you come after my attack?"

"I hadn't intended to stop visiting, it was just at the time, my schedule was so hectic, I barely had time to breathe. And I did visit you after your attack, while you were in the coma. I stayed for several days, but dad and I had a fight, and I left."

"You visited me when I was in the coma?"

"Of course! I was very worried about you!"

"What did you and dad fight about?"

"You. He kept going on and on about how if you had been more of a man, this wouldn't of happened. I told him that you were way more of a man than he could ever be, that you had tried to fight back, but you were out numbered."

He took a deep breath and let it out. "I know I'm far from perfect. I'm only human. I'd really like the chance to be the brother you should have had all along."

Kurt patted Blaine on the back as the curly haired boy considered the man before him. "I'd like that, Coop."

And then the two Anderson boys were hugging. It was at that moment that Pam Anderson entered the kitchen. She smiled at her two boys. "I'm happy to see you two getting along. Hello, Kurt."

"Hi, Pam. Where's Josh?"

"He'll be in in a minute, he had to get something from the garage." Kurt nodded in understanding. The older immortal was feeding on bagged blood. "I'm going upstairs to take a quick shower before dinner. I'll be back down shortly."

She hugged her boys, and then left the kitchen.

"So, Kurt, are you treating my baby brother well?"

"Cooper! Kurt is a wonderful boyfriend! And no, he's not a gold digger, as dad alleged. Kurt's family has way more money than we ever will."

"Really?" Cooper eyed the pale boy.

"My mother's family owns Argeneau, Inc. They have offices on every continent except Australia and Antarctica."

"Argeneau, Inc? Aren't they into bio-engineering or something like that?"

"Among other things, yes."

The older Anderson let out a low whistle. "Damn, Blaine, how'd you manage to snag this one?"

Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine's waist. "I managed to snag him. It took him a while to fall for me."

Cooper studied his younger brother for a moment. "Oliver?"

"How do you know about him?"

"Mom told me about it after the attack. She never did like that bastard."

Kurt could tell the subject still upset his lifemate, and was trying to think of a way to change the subject when Josh entered.

"Oh, hey boys, how was school?"

Cooper glanced up in confusion at the strange man standing in his mother's kitchen. That couldn't possibly be his mother's fiance. The man was younger than him!

Blaine smiled at the immortal. "You'll never believe what happened today!"

Kurt grinned too, but glanced hesitantly at the older Anderson. "Damion and Karofsky!"

"What?" Josh laughed. "Shocking! Oh, sorry, I should introduce myself. I'm Josh Bricker." He held out his hand to Cooper, who was too confused to notice.

"Mom is marry a guy half her age?"

The three immortals all looked at each other and began to laugh. "Josh is older than mom, Coop. By several years, actually."

"Yeah, he just has remarkable genetics," Kurt said.

Cooper looked at them in disbelief, and then back to the older immortal. "Just how old are you, then?"

"Well, my birthday is the day after tomorrow, so I'll be four hundred and twenty-one then." Josh said with a straight face.

When Cooper looked like he was getting mad, Josh just grinned and pushed the question of age out of the man's mind for the time being. Pam returned a couple of minutes later, and they began getting ready for dinner.

…

The rest of the week seemed to pass in a blur. Damion made frequent visits to the school, and he and Karofsky would spend lunch period sitting in the bleachers talking. Amani also visited Mercedes a couple of times, the two of them slipping off to a quiet corner to talk.

For the first time in years, Kurt was excited to go to school, happy to see all his friends happy. Well, most of his friends. As Mercedes had pointed out the week before, Quinn was the only one not in a relationship at the time.

Friday afternoon, Kurt noticed her watching Amani and Mercedes surreptitiously. He sat beside her in Glee club that afternoon. "I know what you are going to say," she said before he had the chance to speak the thought on his mind.

She turned and smiled at him. "The answer is no, I don't want you to find someone for me. I'm not like you and Berry. I don't need immortality in any form, be it literal or figurative. I could never feel happy out living Beth."

He understood, and reached out to hug her. She hugged him back, smiling at him. "You're an amazing person, Kurt. No matter how bad you were treated, you just want everyone around you to be happy. I'm so glad we're friends."

"Thank you, Quinn. You're pretty amazing, too."

Movement by the door caught his eye, and he looked up in surprise to see his grandmother standing in the doorway. Despite the fact that the weather had cooled back down again, she was wearing a sundress with bright colored flowers all over it.

"Gra...er, Mary, what are you doing here?" He corrected himself, noting that Mr. Schue, who was standing by the piano, might be confused by him calling the much too young looking woman grandma.

"I was bored, and thought I'd come listen to your choir sing."

Kurt glanced to the teacher. "Is it okay if my...aunt stays for practice?"

"Sure. Go a head and take your seats. As you all know, regionals is just seven weeks away. Now, I've decided to do four songs this year, two solos, a duet, and a group number. This year's theme is inspiration, so for the group number I've chosen Fly, mashed up with I Believe I can Fly."

"Great selection, Mr. Shue," Rachel said, gearing up for one of her long winded, self absorbed speeches. He cut her off before she could get started though.

"Thank you, Rachel. Now for our duet, I want you all to pair off and prepare something for next week, remembering the theme, inspiration. Best duet will get the spot for regionals. As for solos, Mercedes will get one, with the Troubletones backing her up. The second one will be up for grabs, so if you want it, have something ready by next Friday."

There was some excited chatter as they threw around some ideas.

"What are you going to sing, Kurt?" his grandmother asked.

"I don't know yet. Inspiration is kind of a tricky theme. Blaine and I could try for the duet with Perfect, but I'm not sure about a solo."

"I know what I am going to sing," Rory said. The Irish immortal had been having a bit of a rough time adjusting to the new school, and people making fun of his accent. "I don't even need to wait until next week, Mr. Schue. I can sing it now."

The choir director smiled and gave him the floor. After he gave the band his music, he turned back to the group. "It's hard being different sometimes. I just want to say thank you all for accepting me here."

It's not that easy being green  
Having to spend each day as a color of the leaves  
When I think it could be nicer being red or yellow or gold  
Or something much more colorful like that

Kurt and Stephanie both understood where the tenor was coming from, and joined him on the second verse.

It's not that easy being green  
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things  
And people tend to pass you over  
Cause you're not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water  
Or stars in the sky

Rory's voice soared on the third verse, a sweet smile on his face.

But green's the color of spring  
And green can be cool and friendly-like  
And green can be big like an ocean  
Or important like a mountain  
Or tall like a tree

When green is all there is to be  
It could make you wonder why  
But, why wonder why?  
Wonder, I'm green and it'll do fine  
It's beautiful and I think it's what I wanna be

Everyone clapped when he was finished.

"That was beautiful, Rory. Thank you. Anyone else want to sing?"

Mary glanced at Kurt and smiled. "Wanna sing with an old lady?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

Mary stood up and went to borrow an acoustic guitar from one of the band members. She sat on a stool and began strumming expertly, and Kurt smiled as he recognized the song. Mary started singing, and it was fairly evident where Kurt got his singing talent from.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.  
It must have been cold there in my shadow,  
to never have sunlight on your face.  
You were content to let me shine, that's your way.  
You always walked a step behind.

Kurt took over the second verse.

So I was the one with all the glory,  
while you were the one with all the strength.  
A beautiful face without a name for so long.  
A beautiful smile to hide the pain.

Their voices blended so perfectly on the chorus.

Did you ever know that you're my hero,  
and everything I would like to be?  
I can fly higher than an eagle,  
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

Kurt smiled at Blaine as he sang the next verse.

It might have appeared to go unnoticed,  
but I've got it all here in my heart.  
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.  
I would be nothing without you.

All of New Directions sang together in perfect harmony on the second chorus.

Did you ever know that you're my hero?  
You're everything I wish I could be.  
I could fly higher than an eagle,  
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

Quinn surprised everyone by jumping in on the next part, smiling and singing to all of New Directions, letting them see how truly amazed she was by their love and support.

Did I ever tell you you're my hero?  
You're everything, everything I wish I could be.  
Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle,  
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings,  
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

Kurt and Mary sang together again.

Oh, the wind beneath my wings.  
You, you, you, you are the wind beneath my wings.  
Fly, fly, fly away. You let me fly so high.  
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.  
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.

Kurt finished out the song, his voice angelic as he effortlessly hit the high notes.

Fly, fly, fly high against the sky,  
so high I almost touch the sky.  
Thank you, thank you,  
thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings.

They all clapped and cheered as the song ended, and there were several hugs exchanged.

…

Cooper Anderson was coming to Friday night Supper at the Hummel-Hudson home, along with his Mother and Josh Bricker. Mercedes and Amani and Stephanie and Artie were also coming.

Blaine was happy that he and his brother had talked out their issues, and was glad to have him back in his life. He was a little nervous about having him there that night, though. Cooper didn't know about immortals, or lifemates. With so many immortals in the house, could they keep the secret?

He and Kurt, along with Carole, had made dinner, while Mary had sat at the counter watching, and chatting about Glee. Everyone had arrived by the time dinner was ready, except Cooper, who had called and said he was stuck in traffic, and would be there shortly, and not to wait for him, he'd eat when he got there.

They had only just all gotten seated and began to serve the food when the older Anderson brother arrived, apologizing. He took the open seat between Mary and his Mother after introductions were made. The food was still being passed around as conversation flowed.

At first no one noticed it, busy laughing and talking about their day. He wasn't certain who had noticed it first, but slowly a stunned silence fell over the table, until only Cooper was still unaware of what was going on as he laughed at something Mary said.

"Dude," Finn whispered. "Your grandma is eating."

Kurt looked between Mary and Cooper, who were both still smiling and laughing at each other. "Really, Grandma?"


	17. Dinner Conversations

Cooper was vaguely aware of the silence falling around the table, but was caught up in the amazing story Mary was telling about seeing a wild leopard giving birth in the middle of the Amazon rain forest. He was quite confused by Kurt's comment, though.

"Really, Grandma?"

Cooper glanced around, wondering if someone else had entered without him noticing. Everyone seemed to be staring at him and Mary in a combination of awe and confusion. Kurt turned to the girl with hair that was dyed the brightest shade of red he had ever seen, and whispered something Cooper just managed to hear.

"Did you know about this earlier?"

The red headed girl seemed to be in more shock than anyone else. "I didn't notice anything until just now. This has never happened to me before!"

Blaine glanced from Cooper to Mary, to his boyfriend. "Uh, Kurt? Is Mary...?"

Cooper didn't like the way everyone kept looking at him. Suddenly Mary burst out in laughter. "You will have to excuse my grandson and his friends. They seem to have forgotten their manners."

Cooper's forehead creased at her words. "Grandson?"

"Yes, Kurt is my grandson. I'm much older than I look."

Kurt snorted. "Almost three thousand years older."

Mary smiled. "Only two thousand, eight hundred and fifty six, thank you very much!"

"Uh..." Cooper didn't know what to think. He'd found the auburn haired woman attractive when he'd been introduced to her, and had been fascinated by her work in conservation. But now it seemed the woman might be a little...insane. They all were.

Blaine laughed at that. "We're not insane, Cooper. And yes, I just read your thoughts. I can do that now. Kurt saved my life last year when I was attacked by a rogue immortal. I nearly died from blood loss. Kurt gave me his blood, and turned me. He's my lifemate."

Cooper wasn't reassured. He turned to his mother, but Pam just smiled and leaned into Josh. "Josh is my lifemate. He's only four hundred and twenty one. His brother, Justin, is a rogue hunter for the North American council."

Burt smiled at him. "I'm just over a hundred years old. Unlike Mary, Josh, Damion, and Kurt, I was born human. I met my first lifemate, Elizabeth, in 1943, and allowed her to turn me. She was also a rogue hunter, but was killed by a rogue when Kurt was eight. Fortunately for me, I met Carole, who is also a lifemate to me."

Stephanie spoke softly. "My sister Dani and I were attacked and turned by a rogue."

Cooper didn't know hat to think. He turned to Mary, who smiled at him, and then opened her mouth wider. A pair of fangs slipped down out of her gums. He flinched, but didn't scream or run away.

"That's because I'm controlling you, by the way." Kurt drew his attention again. "I'm keeping you from freaking out and running away. At least until you let us explain."

Cooper just nodded. For the next half hour he listened to the story of Atlantis, nanos, and immortals. He'd begun to relax. These...people seemed harmless enough. None of them had tried to drink his blood.

"And," Kurt was saying now. "Since Mary can't read or control you, that means you are her lifemate."

Wait, what? "Wha...?"

"Very articulate, dear," his mother teased.

"Coop," Blaine said, "Mary is well over two thousand years old, and gave up eating a very long time ago, but now she's found her appetite again. That is one of the first signs of being a lifemate, for the older ones, anyway."

…

"Well, that went well," Blaine said later that evening as they went into Kurt's room to watch a video.

Kurt smiled at him. "Are you happy that Cooper will become one of us?"

"Of course, I'm happy for him, but you do realize that this now actually makes him your step grandfather?"

Kurt's smile faded. "Oh Gaga, I hadn't thought about that! And when we marry, that will make him your step grandfather-in-law!"

Blaine paused in the middle of putting the DVD into the player, a look of shock on his face. Kurt smirked. "You didn't think of that, did you?"

Blaine shook his head. "It's not that. You said 'when we marry,' not 'if.'"

"Well yeah, someday. It's legal in New York, now. And someday it will be legal here. I hope."

"You've never talked about getting married before."

Kurt frowned. "We're lifemates, Blaine. What did you think that meant?"

"Well, yeah, I know that Kurt, it's just..." Blaine's voice trailed off.

"Don't you want to marry me?" Kurt asked, sounding hurt.

"Of course I do, Kurt, but we've never talked about it before. Does every lifemate pair marry? Or do some of them just accept the bond and not worry about the ceremony?"

Kurt shrugged. "Some of the older ones don't bother with ceremonies, I guess. Don't you want a ceremony?"

"I never really thought about it before. But if it's what you want, of course we can have one. It's not like we can't afford to throw the most extravagant wedding ever."

Kurt didn't know how to answer. It still hurt that Blaine didn't seem to care one way or the other whether they married. But he knew the younger boy still loved him. The nanos never made mistakes. They were lifemates, and that was all that really mattered, wasn't it?

Blaine looked over and saw Kurt still frowning, and leaned over to kiss him. "I want to marry you, Kurt. You just kind of surprised me out of the blue with your statement. I never really thought of marriage before. I never thought I'd be able to legally marry. We can have as big and extravagant of a wedding as you want, or we can have a small, intimate wedding with just our family and friends, if you'd rather. I want you to be happy, more than anything else in the world."

Kurt smiled and kissed him back. "And I want you to be happy, too, Blaine. I love you."

"I love you too, Kurt."

Sometime later, the movie having been mostly ignored as they reassured each other of their mutual love, Blaine settled back against the headboard. "So, are you going to audition for the solo for Regionals?"

Kurt settled back as well. "I don't know. I was thinking you and I could try for the duet, though. Maybe do Perfect, or something. What about you? Are you going to try for a solo?"

"Nah, I got enough solos with the Warblers. But I like the idea of doing a duet with you. Perfect is a good choice, but maybe we should consider a few other options as well. We can look for some ideas tomorrow."

"Sounds good."


	18. Meerkats, Screech Owls, and New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm bringing in a couple more Glee characters, and there will be a few more surprises, and Sebastian rears his ugly head again! (Can you tell I hate Sebastian? Which is weird because I love Grant!) Also introducing a couple new Argeneau canon characters, Holly, Justin's lifemate, and Mattie, his mother who appear in About a Vampire, book 22 in the Argeneau series.
> 
> PS I apologize for the one crass remark, you'll know what I'm talking about when you read it, but it worked for the situation. Do not eat or drink while reading this because I won't be held responsible for you choking or any thing that might get snorted out of your nose when you read this.

The rest of January seemed to fly by, and suddenly it was February 12th. As Valentine's Day approached, Kurt was feeling both excited and apprehensive. Excited because he would be celebrating it with his lifemate, but apprehensive because of what had happened the previous year. There hadn't been any rogue activity in the area since Jeremiah's death, but Kurt couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. He knew it was just his imagination, but he was beginning to be just a little paranoid.

Today was Pam's final fitting for the dress, as well as for Kurt and Blaine's tuxedos. Both boys would be members of the bridal party, Blaine as his mom's 'Maid of Honor' and Kurt as one of two groomsmen. Kurt didn't know the other groomsman, only that his name was Joe and that he was the youngest son of a family friend of the Brickers. He would fly in tomorrow from California with Josh's family, including Justin and his new lifemate, Holly. Justin would serve as Best Man. Cooper would walk his mom down the aisle, while Stephanie and one of Blaine's cousins would serve as Bride's Maids, and Josh's seven year old sister would serve as flower girl.

Kurt and Blaine had finished with their fittings, and were waiting at the coffee shop near the bridal shop for Pam, talking about the wedding, when Kurt spotted him. Sebastian Smythe was walking towards them with a malicious smirk on his face.

"Well well, small world, Argeneau. Blaine, still being held on a short leash? You know if you ever want to have some real fun, I can show you what it's like to be with a real man."

Kurt's 'Die, Bitch' face was usually enough to make most people flinch, but Smythe wasn't even looking at him. Blaine squeezed his hand and looked at the taller teen. "Oh, I know what a real man is like, and believe me, I'm very happy."

"Really? How can you be so certain if you haven't tried anything else? Maybe he's just mediocre, but you have nothing to compare it too."

Blaine shrugged and stood as he saw his mother approaching, pulling Kurt to his feet with him. "I'm certain you could never compare to him. He has three things you'll never have; dignity and class."

"That's only two. What's the third thing?"

Blaine leaned forward and whispered into the taller immortal's ear, but Kurt's preternatural hearing had no trouble picking it up, and he had to choke back his shock as Pam arrived.

Pam smiled at the three boys. "Blaine, darling, who is this?"

"Nobody, mom, just one of the new Warblers. Goodbye, Sebastian." He lead Kurt and Pam out of the mall.

Kurt was silent until after they'd dropped Pam off at her house, and were heading back to Lima. "I can't believe you said that to Sebastian! I almost died at the look on his face!"

Blaine smiled. "Well, It's the truth."

"Yes, but it's a bit childish and crude to go around saying things like that!"

Blaine chuckled. "Okay, maybe it was a bit childish, and yes it was crude, but it was worth it to see him making that fish face! Besides, most guys would love to boast that they have 'eight inches and thicker than a baseball bat!'"

Kurt blushed. "Yes, well, it's not like you are lacking in that department yourself."

Blaine grinned and kissed the other boy's knuckles as they approached the Hummel-Hudson home.

As they walked into the kitchen, they found Carole teaching Mary how to make marinara sauce for spaghetti, while Burt and Cooper were talking about cars as they made garlic bread, while Finn was sneaking bits of food.

"Hi everyone!" Kurt called out.

"Hey, kiddo, how was the fitting?" Burt asked, giving his son a one armed hug.

"It was fine, until Sebastian showed up."

"Smythe? Did he try anything?"

"He was hitting on Blaine again, but my lifemate put him in his place!" Kurt said, looking at the curly haired boy with pride.

"Oh? How'd you manage that?" Burt glanced between the two suddenly blushing boys.

"It doesn't matter, really. Dinner smells delicious," Blaine said, trying to change the subject, forgetting that there were three immortals in the room who could read his thoughts.

Mary snorted in laughter. "Eight inches?" When Cooper looked at her in confusion, she whispered in his ear, and he barked out with laughter too.

"Grandma!" Kurt said, going from red to purple.

Finn just looked confused. "What's eight inches?"

"Never mind, Finn," Carole said, fighting hard to hide her laughter. Burt surreptitiously gave Kurt a little fist bump, while patting Blaine on the back.

"Okay, now that I've been completely mortified, how long until dinner? Blaine and I were going to Sugar's party tonight." Kurt said, fighting to get his blush under control.

"It should be ready in about twenty minutes, if you two want to make the salad. I got those Mediterranean olives you like to go in it, and I found a low sodium Italian dressing." Carole gathered the salad items and passed them to the two boys.

…

Kurt and Blaine arrived at Sugar's party fashionably late and found all of New Directions already there. Well, most of them.

"Where's Rory?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know," Quinn answered. "He was here a little while ago, and then Sugar started singing, and he took off. Her singing has improved, she no longer sounds like a screech owl, but he seemed to have a pained expression on his face before he left."

"Hmm, immortals do have sensitive ears. Perhaps it was just a little too much for him," Kurt informed her, glad to have missed that experience himself. He turned to Blaine. "I'm going to get a drink, do you want a lemonade?"

Blaine nodded, and Kurt made his way to the drink station. There was a bit of a line, and Kurt studied the room while he waited. The Mottos had rented out the entire restaurant for the party, and it was brimming with McKinley students. He spotted Dave Karofsky and Damion sitting in a corner booth, talking and laughing. Dave glanced up and spotted him looking, and gave him a shy smile and a little wave. Kurt returned the smile, glad the boy was finally coming to terms with himself.

He continued to look around, and spotted Rory sitting behind a potted plant, looking a bit shell shocked. Deciding the drinks could wait, he made his way over to the other young immortal.

"Rory, are you okay?"

The other boy looked up at him. "I met her."

Kurt frowned in confusion. "Her? Her who?"

"My lifemate. I met her."

"Rory! That's great! So why are you hiding out here in the corner of the room? Where is she?"

"There!" He pointed at the stage where Sugar Motto was introducing The Troubletones, who were going to perform.

"Sugar? She's your lifemate?"

The Irish boy just nodded. "I don't know what to do! I can't just go up and talk to her! What am I going to say? My accent gets really bad when I'm nervous. What if she can't understand a word I say? What if I'm not good enough for her?"

Kurt pulled him to his feet. "Come on, I'll introduce you to her. She'll probably do enough talking for both of you. And besides, the nanos are never wrong. If you can't read or control her, she is your lifemate, and she'll like you no matter what."

He lead the boy over to where Sugar was dancing (flailing) to the music as Mercedes and the Troubletones sang Candy Man. He tapped the girl on the shoulder.

"Sugar, have you met Rory yet? He's new here."

The Irish tenor smiled shyly at her. "Hi, I'm Rory Flanagan."

"Hi. I love your accent. Are you Swedish?"

Kurt backed away, and let the two get to know each other. A few minutes later he returned to the table with the drinks.

"I would say I was beginning to wonder where you were, but I heard everything," Blaine said as he took the frosty glass from the taller boy. "So, Rory and Sugar, huh?"

"Yeah, who knew Lima, Ohio would be such a hot spot for lifemates?"

"Well technically, we met in Westerville."

Kurt rolled his eyes, but gave his lifemate a quick kiss.

They enjoyed the party, dancing and having fun, even agreeing to sing Love Shack with the rest of New Directions. They did decide to call it an early night, however, since they had a lot to do the next day.

…

They drove to Columbus Saturday to help out with last minute wedding stuff, including helping set up for the rehearsal dinner that evening. When they arrived at the Anderson home, they were greeted by neither Pam nor Josh, but by a boy around the same age as them.

The boy had long dreadlocks held back from his face with a leather chord, and was barefoot. He smiled at them.

"I'm guessing you're Blaine?" he said, holding a hand out to the hazel eyed boy.

"Yes, are you Joe?" Blaine shook his hand.

"I am. That makes you Kurt. It's nice to meet you." He shook hands with the counter tenor. "Pam and Josh will be right back, they are helping Justin chase down Morgana."

"Morgana?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"Josh's mother's wedding gift to the couple. She breeds dogs. Morgana managed to slip out the door when the ABB guy didn't close it all the way behind him."

Blaine wondered briefly why the blood delivery guy had come today, when they had just gotten a delivery the day before, but was distracted from the thought as a woman he didn't recognize came down the stairs hesitantly.

"Have they caught her yet?"

"I think I hear them coming back now," Joe said, and Blaine realized he could make out his mother's voice from about half a block away. "Holly, this is Blaine and Kurt. This is Justin's lifemate, Holly. She's afraid of dogs."

"You would be too if you were mauled by one. Justin has been helping me get over my fear, but Morgana just doesn't seem to like me very much. It's nice to meet you, by the way."

Pam and the immortal brothers entered the house then, and Holly backed away from the ball of fluff they were leading on a training leash. Kurt was instantly in love with the four month old Newfoundland puppy as she walked up to him and demanded to be petted.

"Sure, she loves you," Holly said, sounding both amused and exasperated from her position on the stairs. The puppy growled softly in the woman's direction.

"I'll take her out to the back yard." The man Kurt recognized as Justin Bricker said, scooping up the dog. As he left the room, Holly sighed and came further into the living room.

"I'm sorry, I'm not making much of a first impression on you, am I? You boys must think I'm a wuss or something."

They assured her that it was fine, they understood.

Kurt, ever the aspiring wedding planner, broke the awkward moment. "Well, shall we get started making the hors d'oeuvres?"

They spent the afternoon cooking up a feast. Josh's parents arrived mid afternoon, and Mattie, his mother, dove right in helping out. As they worked they talked about everything from ancient history to music, the older immortals as interested in what the younger ones had to say as the younger ones were to learn something new.

By the time the guests started to arrive, the house was filled with the delicious aroma of spices and herbs. Of course, not all of the guests would be eating. Most of the guests would be older immortals, many of whom had yet to find a lifemate. But there would plenty of people to eat all the food they had cooked. All of the New Directions would be there, as would Nick and Jeff.

The evening began well enough. Kurt and Blaine's friends arrived, and were introduced to the new comers. Kurt raised an eye brow when Joe and Quinn sat together, laughing and talking by themselves. Shaking his head at what seemed to be yet another lifemate pairing in the making, the counter tenor excused himself to grab a bag of blood. He had forgotten to feed earlier.

...

Several ice chests filled with bagged blood had been set up on one table, and several guest had served themselves. Blaine had seen Kurt feeding a little while ago, but he hadn't seen his lifemate since. He hadn't yet fed, but he was starting to feel the signs of hunger, and was making his way towards the coolers, when Kurt suddenly grabbed him and dragged him into a corner.

Blaine smiled at the taller boy, and was about to ask what was up, but he didn't get the chance. The pale boy shoved him against the wall and was kissing him hard.

Blaine was shocked by the reaction, and turned his head, breaking the kiss. "Kurt, what are you doing?"

"I need you, right now!" Kurt all but growled, barely sounding like himself. "Let's go to your room. I want to feel you against me!"

Blaine frowned. This didn't seem like Kurt. He was definitely acting out of character. "Kurt, sweetie, are you feeling okay?"

"No! I'm crawling out of my skin! I'm so hot right now! I need you Blaine! Please!"

"Baby, I think there is something wrong with you. Let's try and find someone who can figure out what is going on."

Kurt whimpered. "You don't want me?"

Blaine was beginning to panic. "Of course I do, but you aren't acting like yourself right now. Come on, I see your dad across the room. Let's go see if he knows what is going on."

Kurt was clinging to him from behind, pawing at him and kissing up and down his neck as Blaine started to pull his lifemate across the room with him, but before he had gotten very far, a very intoxicated Jeff grabbed on to him. "Dance with me, Blainey!"

The blonde's speech was slurred, and he was remaining upright only by his grip on Blaine's arm. "Jeff? Are you drunk? You can't be drunk. Immortals can't get drunk! Unless..."

Blaine scanned the room, and noticed many of the immortal were acting strangely. Nick was standing by the aquarium, staring intently at the vibrant blue fish swimming around. Josh and Justin were giggling at everything for no apparent reason. And Holly was sobbing as she gripped Morgana to her chest, and speaking nonsense to the animal that was emitting low growls, but seemed to be content were she was.

Something definitely was not right. Burt seemed to have realized the same thing and had made his way to Blaine's side as he lowered Jeff onto a sofa. "Someone has switched out the blood with specialty bloods. I'm guessing Wino Red, High Times, and Sweet Ecstasy."

Blaine was frowning harder now. "Joe said the dog got out when the ABB delivery guy left the door ajar. That seemed strange to me earlier, cause we weren't expecting a delivery today."

Mercedes came over to join them. "What is going on? Amani is in the corner spouting about wanting to paint everyone, and he's not talking about painting a portrait, but actually covering us all in paint. Damion all but just dragged Karofsky upstairs, although Dave seemed more than willing to go along, and I think Stephanie is about to throw up in the umbrella stand."

"Someone sent us spiked blood," Blaine informed her.

"Spiked blood? You mean like those specialty bloods Kurt was telling me about?"

"Yes," Burt answered. "It's a good thing Carole and I fed before we came tonight. She and Mattie are trying to contain some of the more affected immortals. Maybe you and the other kids should head home."

Mercedes nodded as Joe and Quinn came over. Joe had apparently surmised what had happened and had explained to the former cheerleader.

"I checked the blood," Joe said, fending off a female immortal who kept trying to pinch his cheeks. "All of them have normal labels on them, none of them are tagged as anything but regular blood. Either someone is very incompetent at their job, or someone sabotaged the blood."

Blaine was distracted as Kurt tried to slip his hand inside Blaine's pants. He grabbed the hand and held it to his chest. His lifemate whined.

"Is he okay?" Quinn asked, looking at her friend in concern.

"Oh, he's fine," Burt quipped. "He just has around six doses of Sweet Ecstasy concentrate inside him."

"Sweet Ecstasy concentrate?" the blonde girl asked.

"Blood laced with Oxytocin and a bunch of other stuff I can't pronounce. Basically an immortal aphrodisiac."

"Oh," Quinn said, trying to hide a smile. "So is there anything we can do to help?"

"Unfortunately, we're just going to have to let them work it out of their systems," Carole said, approaching. Being a nurse, she had taken it upon herself to learn everything she could about the nanos, and what could and could not affect the immortal body. "We'll handling everything, Quinn, sweetie. You guys just go home. Everything will be fine in a few hours."

The New Directions made their way out, except for Artie, who refused to leave Stephanie when she was feeling so miserable, and Mercedes, who decided to stay with Armani, taking him to one of the guestrooms so he wouldn't be embarrassed when the effects of the High Times he had unknowingly consumed wore off.

"What should I do about Kurt?" Blaine asked as the boy in question became more aggressive.

Burt looked at the curly haired boy, the look on his face one of conflict. On the one hand, he knew that his son wasn't as innocent as he'd had hoped he'd be at seventeen, but that didn't prevent the paternal instinct to preserve his child's virtue from roaring up. In the end he knew there was only one thing to be done for his only child.

He shrugged. "Take him to your room, lock the door, and try not to be too loud. I really don't need to hear what goes on between you two."

As he realized what the man was saying, Blaine's eyes went wide with shock.


	19. Valentine's and Regionals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone else learns about immortals in this chapter!

"Oh Gaga, I'm dead! You've killed me!"

"I killed you?" Blaine said, sounding miffed. "You're the one who dragged me into this bedroom and proceeded to abuse my poor body!"

Kurt blinked open his eyes and looked at his lifemate. "You didn't seem to mind it at the time. You were very vocal in your appreciation, if I recall correctly."

"So you do remember last night? How are you feeling?"

Kurt moved and grimaced, letting out another groan of pain. "I feel like someone spiked my blood with six doses of Sweet Ecstasy Concentrate, with only one way to get it out of my system. I'm sorry. How are you feeling?"

Blaine tried to fight the dopey grin, but failed miserably. "I'm feeling good, actually. A little sore, and not sure I can walk, my legs still feel like jello. But last night was amazing. I didn't know you were that flexible!"

Kurt blushed, or would have if he'd had enough blood in him. "Well, I was a Cheerio. It takes flexibility to do some of those moves."

There was a knock on the door. "Are you boys decent?" Burt Hummel called out.

"Dad!" Kurt whined.

"Whatever, Kiddo." Burt teased. "Hurry up and get dressed, we need to talk about last night, and there is a fresh delivery of blood. It's clean, Bastian brought it personally."

Kurt groaned again, but got up and went to take a shower and get dressed. By the time he returned to the bedroom, Blaine had managed to sit up and was stretching some of the kinks out of his back and arms. Kurt stood transfixed, watching the play of muscles.

He would have thought it impossible to be aroused again after last night, but apparently the Sweet Ecstasy wasn't completely out of his system yet. Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do about it at the moment, as he became aware of the gnawing pain in his stomach as the nanos sought more blood. There wasn't enough left for him to get an erection.

He swallowed and looked away from the other boy. "I'm going downstairs and feed. I left you plenty of hot water for a shower."

The darker boy smiled at him, and kissed his cheek before slipping into the bathroom himself.

Kurt made his way to the kitchen, where his Dad, Carole, Josh, Pam, Justin, Damion, and Amani were all seated. As he entered, Bastien came in from the backdoor, talking on his cellphone.

"Thanks, Lynn, I'll let them know." The older immortal hung up and glanced around the room. "It seems Sebastian Smythe has been up to his old tricks again. He bribed one of the delivery guys to switch the labels, and replace your blood with the specialty bloods. Lucian is too busy to handle it right now, but George Flanagan has tracked the boy down and has politely escorted him to the airport and put him on a plane back to Europe. He is being banished from North America."

"Thank Gaga," Kurt said, accepting the four bags of blood Carole handed him. "One less trouble maker to deal with. Does anyone know why he did it, aside from the fact that he's a jerk?"

"Yes, well, apparently he didn't like the fact that your lifemate found him...physically lacking."

If Kurt hadn't just popped one of the bags of blood to his fangs, he might have choked in shock at that. As it was he almost ripped the bag open when he bit down too hard. It was fortunate that the nanos were snatching up the blood as fast as his fangs could suck it up, or he might have turned beet red.

It was at that moment that Mercedes entered the kitchen, along with Joe and Quinn, who had ended up staying the night before after all. The dark skinned Diva went to her lifemate and gave him a hug, before turning to her best friend, just as he finished the first bag of blood.

"Feeling better, boo?"

Kurt smiled at her. "Still a little low on blood, but other than that, good as new."

"That's great. So did I hear right, that some spoiled brat pulled this stunt because he was jealous that you have more to work with than he did?"

Quinn couldn't stop the snort of laughter, "I'm sorry, but guys are just so sensitive about things like that!"

"I'm never going to live this down, am I?" Kurt grumbled.

Mercedes just waved that off. "But if he wanted to punish Blaine, why sabotage all the blood? Seems kind of hit or miss to me."

Bastian frowned. "Yes, well, apparently the boy had been watching from a window, and had hoped Blaine would get the S.E. Concentrate. He would then have lured the boy away using mind control, and proven that he wasn't 'lacking,' after all."

Kurt saw red, and nearly squeezed the bag of blood he was holding so hard it would have popped if Burt hadn't snatched it from his fingers.

"I'll kill him!" Kurt said, a feeling of rage like nothing he'd ever experienced before overwhelming him. "Where is he? I'm going to disembowel the bastard!"

Fortunately Blaine chose that moment to enter. Of course his preternatural hearing had picked up on the conversation, and he understood what had the taller boy so furious.

"Hey, It's alright! I'm here, I'm fine, and he can't touch either of us now!" Blaine said, soothing his lifemate. "His plan backfired massively, anyway. All his stunt proved was what I already knew. You are the only one I want, ever."

The dark haired boy grabbed up several bags of blood, and led Kurt out of the Kitchen and back upstairs to the room they were sharing. Blaine settled his boyfriend at the foot of the bed, and held out one of the bags of blood.

At first Kurt was too upset to take it, but Blaine gave him those puppy dog eyes, and with a sigh, the pale boy accepted the bag and popped it to his teeth. They both fed in silence for several minutes, going through all but one of the bags of blood.

"Feeling better now?" Blaine asked.

Kurt took several deep breaths before replying. "Better. Sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, babe! Besides, I kind of like jealous Kurt. It tells me how much you love me!"

Kurt sighed and relaxed a little more. "I do love you, and I trust you. It's just, thinking of what he might have done to you, and last year with Jeremiah...I can't lose you, Blaine. I know we're young, and there might someday be another lifemate out there for me, but I don't want anyone else! Only you!"

Blaine sat beside him and wrapped him in his arms. "I only want you, too. Sebastian could never come close to taking me from you."

Kurt leaned into his lifemate, holding him, and barely brushed their lips together. "I want to kiss you so bad right now, but if I do we won't stop, and we need to start getting ready for the wedding."

Blaine chuckled, and gave him a quick, chaste kiss before pulling away. "By the way, Happy Valentine's Day!"

The Curly haired boy pulled a small box from the dresser drawer, and handed it to Kurt.

"What's this?" The pale boy opened the box. Inside was a small silver key on a watch fob.

"It's the key to my heart," Blaine said, failing to keep a silly grin from his face. "See? I have the heart here on my watch chain."

Kurt laughed and hugged the goofy boy. "Thank you! I love you so much! Happy Valentine's Day!"

…

The wedding went off without any more problems. Those immortals who had been affected by the specialty bloods were all sober and doing better, although Stephanie still looked slightly ill. Artie had told them that she had spent most of the night throwing up in the bathroom, and had only fallen asleep shortly before dawn. Kurt had helped her with her make-up that afternoon to hide the dark circles under her eyes.

"I'm never drinking alcohol laced blood again," she had moaned. The pale boy had smiled and hugged her.

"Well, it could have been worse. You could have gotten the S.E.C., and you and Artie might have gone places you aren't ready to go yet."

She looked at him. "Are you upset about that?"

Kurt shrugged. "I'm mad that bastard pulled this stunt, but I don't regret what happened with Blaine last night. He and I had already crossed that bridge before. I just didn't like feeling so out of control."

Stephanie nodded at that. "Speaking of out of control, did you see Dave's hickey? For someone who was in the closet only a few weeks ago, he seems to be embracing his sexuality much better now. Damion was almost purring this afternoon."

Kurt smiled. He had seen the love bite on the jock's neck, had in fact helped the boy conceal it with make-up. "I'm so happy for him. Damion has helped him so much."

…

The following two weeks were hectic in Glee club as they worked hard on their routines for Regionals. With four numbers to work on, there was a lot of choreography to work out. The afternoon before the competition was particularly grueling, as Kurt's SUV was in his dad's shop that day, getting the tires rotated and the oil changed, and he had ridden to school with Finn in his truck, which did not have a hidden cooler for blood, which meant that Blaine hadn't fed since that morning, and though it had been over a year since his turning, he was still young and needed more blood.

He was fighting the cramping that told him he needed to feed soon when Mr. Schue finally called an end to rehearsal. Kurt had noticed, of course, and had been ready to take control of the teacher and have him end the class sooner.

Kurt was trying to hurry the other boy out of the auditorium when Mr. Schue called out. "Oh, Blaine, Kurt, can I talk to you real quick about your duet?"

Kurt glanced at his lifemate, who just shrugged. "What's up, Mr. Schue?"

The teacher was gathering up his papers as he talked. He was really excited about their song, as it was going to close out their set, and kept going over how amazed he was by Blaine's arrangement of the piece, and that he was so impressed with the choreography Kurt had worked out with Mike and Brittany.

Kurt was aware, of Blaine tuning out as the teacher talked on, knowing the hunger was gnawing at him.

"Thank you, Mr. Schue!" He interrupted. "We're so glad you like it. We really must be going now, though. It's getting late."

"Oh, yes, sorry boys! I'm just so excited for tomorrow! We really have a good shot at winning this and going to Nationals! Ouch!" The older man yanked his hand back from his satchel, a small bead of blood appearing on his finger from a paper cut he'd just received.

Blaine's eyes instantly focused on the crimson drop, and out of the corner of his eyes, Kurt saw the other boy's fangs begin to drop. He had two options. He could take control of the other man, or he could distract the shorter boy. He abruptly turned to the boy beside him, startling the choir director, who looked at the other boy as well, a gasp of shock coming from him as he spotted the fangs.

Ignoring his music teacher for the moment, he focused on his lifemate. "Blaine, close your eyes, sweetie, don't look at the blood. Mr. Schue, would you mind covering the cut, please? He'll still be able to smell the blood of course, but maybe if he can't see it he'll be able to control his hunger and retract his fangs so I can get him home."

In a state of shock, the mortal complied. "He has fangs."

"Yes, he does. Me too. I was born with them. I turned Blaine last year when I was at Dalton after he nearly died from a rogue attack. Stephanie was also turned by a rogue. I can explain everything to you later, if you come to my house. Right now I need to get Blaine home and get him a few bags of blood."

He walked away leading the younger immortal, hoping he hadn't misplaced his trust in the teacher.

…

An hour later, Will Schuester sat in the Hummel-Hudson living room with Burt Hummel, his wife Carole, their sons, Blaine, Stephanie, and Artie.

"So," he started, having listened to the fantastical tale the others had told him. "Atlantis was real, with a far superior society that created nanos to keep the human body healthy?"

They all nodded at him. He nodded back, and looked at Kurt. "And you were born with the nanos?"

"Yes."

"And you turned Blaine to save his life because he is your lifemate?"

"That's correct," Blaine replied.

"And Stephanie was forced to take nano laden blood by another rogue, but his nanos were different than the rest of you?"

"He was what immortals call a no fanger. He was insane. I'm endentate. No fangs, but still sane."

Will studied the girl. He'd known there was something special about her the moment he'd met her. She'd always seemed much older than her years, had a look in her eyes that said that she had gone through things no one her age should have gone through, and had come out stronger for it.

She smiled at him. "I am stronger than I was. Not just physically, but emotionally. Before I was taken by Leonius, I had all the same fears girls my age have, about my weight, about my looks, about fitting in with my peers, about finding a boy who would like me for who I am. Now, thanks to the nanos, I'm the most perfect version of me physically, so I no longer have to worry about that. And because Artie is my lifemate, I don't have to worry about if he really likes me, or if he's going to get bored and leave me some day. I still have fears, but I've learned that we can let fear rule our lives, or accept it and move on."

The teacher nodded, not even phased by the thought that the girl had just read his mind. Now that he knew about immortals, certain things he'd noticed over the last couple of years made more sense, like the fact that the countertenor never tanned like other kids, his skin remaining nearly flawless. The boy wore powerful sunscreen to block the sunlight from damaging his skin so that the nanos had less work to do.

And he knew the boy had been being bullied, even though he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. He'd see the boy in class in obvious discomfort from being shoved into lockers, but by the end of the class he'd act as if he'd never been hurt. The nanos had been healing the bruises and abrasions.

Kurt nodded, also having read the older mortal's thoughts. "Yes, I heal fast, but the healing itself can be worse than the bruise or cut, as the nanos will attack the body to get the blood it needs to make repairs."

Will just nodded again. And that would explain the times he had seen the boy hiding out in his car. It was too dark to see, but he'd always just assumed the boy was eating his lunch in the backseat. Instead he'd been hiding out so people wouldn't see him with fangs buried in bags of blood.

Fangs. The thought stirred a more recent memory in his mind. "Last week, I saw a mark on Dave Karofsky's neck. At the time I just put it down to bug bites or something, but now that I think about it, they definitely looked like fang marks. You said you aren't allowed to bite people..."

"Karofsky has a lifemate, a friend of ours name Damion, his younger brother is Amani, whom you've met. He's Mercedes' lifemate." Kurt explained.

"The night before Blaine's mother's wedding, another young immortal who has a vendetta against Blaine and me switched out the blood for specialty bloods spiked with various drugs. Damion unknowingly ingested a bag of blood laced with an aphrodisiac. He got a little carried away with Karofsky. Dave was fully aware of what was happening, and well, apparently fangs turn him on." The teenage immortal blushed as he recalled his own experience with the chemically laced blood.

"So, you are allowed to bite mortals if they consent?"

"It's generally frowned upon in North America," Burt answered, knowing his son was becoming too embarrassed to continue. "But when it's between lifemates, it is allowed. And there are a few other instances where biting is allowed. Kurt has an uncle and cousin who cannot survive on bagged blood. Something to do with some enzyme their bodies need not surviving in bagged blood. Also, if we are injured and have no bagged blood available, we can feed 'off the hoof.'"

"Azimio broke my nose last year when he hit me in dodge ball. Mercedes let me take some of her blood." Stephanie still felt guilty over that incident. Artie reached over and pulled her in for a hug.

"So, who all knows about you guys? And why did you tell me all of this? Why not just erase my memory?"

"Normally, we're not allowed to tell people about us," Kurt said. "My Uncle Lucian is the head of the North American Council, our governing body. He said that if people I trust find out about us, I can choose whether to let them keep the knowledge or not. Everyone in Glee knows, and now you know as well. We've all been reading your mind as we talked..."

"Except me," Artie said. "Still mortal, at least until after graduation."

"And me," Finn chimed in.

Kurt nodded and continued. "We can see that we can trust you with this knowledge. So, unless you want us to wipe your memory, we're prepared to accept you into the circle of friends who know about us."

The mortal didn't have to think too hard. "I'm honored that you shared this with me, Kurt. And I will keep your secrets."

"Good. Now we should all eat and get to bed. We have a competition to win tomorrow."

…

"Kurt! Blaine!" The two boys turned to the voice calling to them.

"Jeff! Where's Nick?" Blaine asked as the blonde immortal ran up to them.

"His parents are here. He's with them right now, but they'll be calling us backstage in a few minutes. We're up first, you know. We'll be setting the bar pretty high. Hope you guys are ready to bring it."

"Oh, don't worry, it's brought!" Mercedes exclaimed, joining them. As the others joined them, they teased each other good naturedly until the bell rang signaling the beginning of the competition.

Kurt had to admit, the Warblers put on an excellent show, having added more complex choreography, including flips and leaps. Nick's vocals on Stand were perfect, and Jeff's rendition of Perfect was fitting for the theme.

The second group to perform seemed to have been intimidated by the a Capella performance, or perhaps they just needed more time to rehearse. Their song choices, while fitting the theme of inspiration, seemed flat and forced.

When it was New Directions turn to perform, there was a sense of anticipation in the air. They started off with Mercedes and the Troubletones doing What Doesn't Kill you, which the audience seemed to eat up. Then came the group number. Their powerful mash up of Fly and I believe I can Fly had some audience members tearing up.

Up next, Quinn took the stage. Her solo audition had been unanimously voted best by the group (even a begrudging Rachel).

I fell down, down, down  
Into this dark and lonely hole  
There was no one there to care about me anymore  
And I needed a way to climb and grab a hold of the edge  
You were sitting there holding a rope

And we'll go up, up, up  
But I'll fly a little higher  
Go up in the clouds because the view's a little nicer  
Up here my dear  
It won't be long now, it won't be long now

When we get back on land  
Well I'll never get my chance  
Be ready to live and it'll be ripped right out of my hands  
And maybe someday we'll take a little ride  
Go up, up, up and everything will be just fine

We'll go up, up, up  
But I'll fly a little higher  
Go up in the clouds because the view's a little nicer  
Up here my dear

It won't be long now, it won't be long now  
If only I had a little bit more time  
If only I had a little bit more time with you

We could go up, up, up  
And take that little ride  
We'll sit there holding hands  
And everything would be just right  
And maybe someday I'll see you again  
We'll float up in the clouds and we'll never see the end

We'll go up, up, up  
But I'll fly a little higher  
Go up in the clouds because the view's a little nicer  
Up here my dear  
It won't be long now, it won't be long now

The standing ovation that followed lasted so long, Kurt wasn't certain, they'd be allowed to perform their final song, but eventually, the crowd settled down, and Kurt watched from the wings as his lifemate sat down at the white baby grand piano just left of center stage, and began to play. Mike and Brittany joined him on stage and began a complicated Waltz.

(Blaine/Kurt/both)

I see trees of green  
Red roses too  
I see them bloom  
For me and you  
And I think to myself  
What a wonderful world

Kurt took a breath and moved out on to the stage, and the couple danced around him as he sang.

I see skies of blue  
And clouds of white  
The bright blessed day  
The dark sacred night  
And I think to myself  
What a wonderful world

One of the band members took over at the piano as Kurt reached it, and Blaine moved to join him.

The colors of the rainbow  
So pretty in the sky  
Are also on the faces  
Of people going by  
I see friends shaking hands  
Saying, "How do you do?"  
They're really saying  
"I love you"

Santana and Tina joined them on the stage, the Latina swirling her girlfriend out of Mike's arms, and waltzing off with her, as the shorter girl smiled and moved into her boyfriend's arms. Kurt and Blaine joined them in the dance as they sang the last verse.

I hear babies cry  
I watch them grow  
They'll learn much more  
Than I'll never know  
And I think to myself  
What a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself  
What a wonderful world

Oh yeah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N The song Quinn sings is called Clouds, by Zach Sobiech. If you are not familiar with the story behind it, I highly recommend you Google Zach Sobiech, or check it out on YouTube.


	20. Rainy Days and Mondays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm bringing in another Glee canon character this chapter. Can you guess who it is? Also changing up the timeline again.
> 
> Oh, pronunciation guide, Eshe is pronounce E-She, according to Lynsay Sands, though in my head I can't stop saying it as Ashe, but with more of an eh sound at the beginning.

Even the pouring rain on Monday wasn't enough to dampen Kurt's euphoria over winning at Regionals. He just knew that this was going to be New Directions' year to go all the way to first place. He was smiling and humming to himself as he stopped at his locker before lunch, and wasn't really paying attention to anything going on around him, until someone called his name.

"Kurt!" Dave Karofsky sounded winded as he ran up to him. "Damion asked me to find you, something is wrong!"

Kurt frowned. "What's going on? Where is Damion?"

"Come on, he's in the gym!" They began moving quickly down the hall.

"Kurt!" Another voice called out. He turned to wait for his lifemate to catch up. "What's going on?" Blaine asked, seeing the look on both boys faces.

"I don't know," Dave said, agitated. "Damion just said it was urgent he find Kurt, that there was something he needed to tell him."

Just then Stephanie, Artie, and Mercedes came around the corner. The three of them immediately recognized that something was wrong. Kurt just shrugged when Mercedes asked what was happening, and they joined the three boys headed to the gym.

The small crowd of teens found the ancient immortal pacing restlessly by the bleachers. He turned and looked relieved to spot them. "Kurt! I need to talk to you. The rest of you should probably hear this too."

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked, a feeling of dread filling him.

"You remember Lucian mentioning the trouble down in Texas?" Damion asked, even as he pulled Dave to his side.

"Yes, he said several immortals had gone missing down there. Why? What happened?"

The much older man actually seemed scared. "The Notte twins went down to investigate. They were kidnapped, Dante managed to escape, but Tomasso apparently was being taken somewhere in South America."

"South America? Is the South American council going to search for him?" Stephanie asked.

Damion shook his head. "Lucian called me just a few minutes ago while I was waiting for you. Tomasso managed to call him and let him know that he had escaped, but that there was something major going on in South America. And now all the hunters Lucian had scent down there have gone missing."

"All of them? How many?" Kurt asked, astonished.

"A dozen, at least, including Eshe and Armand. We have reason to believe that they've been taken captive by an eccentric mortal scientist. Lucian has a plan to infiltrate his compound, and has sent for more hunters. That is why I'm here, I need to ask a favor of you."

"Of course, what ever you need!"

The darker male smiled at him. "Eshe's youngest daughter is going down to join the rescue party, but she is worried about her only child, who just turned sixteen. They are going through a difficult time right now, and really could use some friends."

"We'd be happy to help," Blaine said, smiling.

Damion, smiled in return. "Great. They will be here soon. I've already spoken to Burt, and they will be staying at your house, Kurt. I've already gotten them registered for school here. I told them to meet you after school at Glee rehearsal. They were really excited about your Glee club here and are looking forward to trying out."

Artie spoke up. "We'd be happy to have them in New Directions."

"Thank you," Damion seemed relieved. "It will be one less thing for me to worry about while I am gone."

"Gone?" Dave asked, sounding worried. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be going to South America too. Lucian needs pilots, as this mysterious scientist apparently lives on a secluded island. I got my pilots' license for small craft and helicopters back during Vietnam."

"You're leaving?" Dave's voice was soft, unsure.

Damion paused and took him into his arms. "I'll be back before you know it. I just found you, I'm not giving you up that easily."

Kurt and the others decided to leave the two lifemates alone to say their goodbyes, and went to the cafeteria to get their lunch.

"There you guys are!" Tina said as they sat down with the rest of New Directions. "Why are you all so late?"

It was Mercedes who filled them in on what was happening.

"So, another of your kind is coming to McKinley?" Finn asked.

Kurt nodded. "They are going to be staying with us, too."

"And joining New Directions?" Rachel asked. Kurt just nodded as he took a bite of his grilled chicken salad. "Do you know what range they sing? And is it a boy or a girl?"

It was then that Kurt realized Damion hadn't even told them anything about this person. He guessed they'd just have to wait till Glee after school to find out.

…

"Oh my gosh! You're Kurt Hummel! And you're Mercedes Jones!" A voice squealed as they entered the choir room later that day. They studied the...boy (?) who had spoken. No doubt this was the person Damion had told them about. He was about the same height as Blaine, a little on the husky side, with skin the color of dark chocolate.

"Hi!" Kurt said, smiling kindly at him. "You must be Damion's relative."

"Yes, I'm Wade Adams, but I prefer to be called Unique." He rolled his eyes. "My mom suggested I dress like this instead of my true self, so I'd fit in better."

"Your true self?" Puck asked as he came through the door. Wade studied the Mohawked boy before answering.

"Yes. While Wade is a boy, Unique would rather wear dresses and heals."

"You're transgender!" Tina said, having entered behind Puck.

The new kid studied her, and smiled. "Yes, though my parents don't get it. I know they love me, no matter what, and want me to be safe and have friends, but they just don't understand."

Kurt hugged the teen. "It's okay. You can be who ever you want. None of us will judge you. If you want, my dad can talk to your parents when they get back. He's relatively young, so he understands the modern world better than some of the older immortals. He can make them understand what you are going through."

Wade smiled shyly and nodded. "Thank you, Kurt. I just knew you'd understand. I'm a huge fan of yours, by the way. I saw you perform at Nationals last year in New York. You were amazing! And Ms. Jones! I only wish I had your range!"

The Diva smiled. "Call me Mercedes. We're practically related."

"Oh, yes! You're Uncle Amani's lifemate, I know, but I just can't help fan girling over you! I am in such awe of your voice!"

Just then Mr Schue entered, noticing the new student.

"Unique would like to audition," Kurt said, smiling at the younger immortal, who smiled gratefully in return at the use of his preferred appellation.

The choir instructor smiled, and gestured for the teen to proceed.

Wade's voice was soft as he began, but as Unique began to feel more comfortable around the others, her voice grew stronger.

There's a light in the darkness  
Though the night is black as my skin  
There's a light, burning bright, showing me the way  
But I know where I've been

There's a cry in the distance  
It's a voice that comes from deep within  
There's a cry asking why, I pray the answer's up ahead, yeah  
'Cause I know where I've been

There's a road we've been travelin'  
Lost so many on the way  
But the riches will be plenty  
Worth the price, the price we had to pay

There's a dream in the future  
There's a struggle that we have yet to win  
And there's pride in my heart  
'Cause I know where I'm going, yes I do  
And I know where I've been, yeah

There's a road we must travel  
There's a promise we must make  
Oh, but the riches, the riches will be plenty  
Worth the risks and the chances that we take

There's a dream, yeah, in the future  
There's a struggle that we have yet to win  
Use that pride in our hearts to lift us up to tomorrow  
'Cause just to sit still would be a sin

I know it, I know it, I know where I'm going  
Lord knows I know where I've been  
Oh, when we win, I'll give thanks to my God  
'Cause I know where I've been

There were cheers as the song came to an end.

"Girl," Mercedes said in a playfully scolding tone of voice. "I never want to hear you doubting your voice again! That was amazing!"

"Absolutely!" Kurt agreed, and gave her another hug. "Welcome to New Directions!"

…

The rain continued through out the week, but the New Directions were too busy working on plans for Nationals to notice. Unique settled into McKinley fairly quickly, feeling free to dress as herself thanks to her new friends. She and Rory quickly formed a bond, both being something of an outsider among the other students, though not among New Directions, who had all been the outsiders at one time or another.

This year's theme for Nationals was Retro, which worked in their favor since it seemed to be all Mr. Schue ever talked about sometimes. They were doing five numbers this years, since the National Show Choir Committee had decided to do away with the cap on the numbers a group could perform, within reason. The girls would perform one number, then there would be a duet, a solo, and two group numbers.

They would once again hold auditions for the solo and duet, but they had already voted on the two group numbers, while the girls had submitted two different song ideas, and would present them this afternoon to be voted on.

Kurt wasn't too surprised to find Joe sitting in the third row when they arrived in the auditorium that afternoon. While the young immortal wasn't officially a McKinley student, he had become a constant fixture around campus since Valentine's day. He was spending an awful lot of time with Quinn, though neither of them had admitted to being lifemates.

What did surprise Kurt was finding Karofsky also sitting in the back row. The football player had been noticeably down since his lifemate had left town. Kurt could understand, it was hard for his kind to be separated from their other half for long periods of time, especially when the relationship was so new.

He and Blaine sat with the larger boy, who seemed grateful for their company.

They started out with the solo auditions. It was unanimously decided that Rachel had the best audition, and everyone congratulated her. The petite girl had been working hard since Regionals not to be as self centered as she had in the past, and had made up with Mercedes and the others who had felt left out.

There were only three duet auditions; Kurt and Blaine, Santana and Brittany, and Mercedes and Unique. Kurt and and Blaine and Mercedes and Unique tied in the voting, and agreed to have a sing off the following Friday.

Finally, the girls presented their two song choices. Again, it was hard to choose between the two, but in the end they went with the second song, which was a fun, upbeat dance number.

After rehearsal was over, Kurt invited everyone, including Joe and Dave, back to his place for Friday night dinner.

…

They had just finished eating when the doorbell sounded. There was a shout of happiness from Dave when Damion entered the living room.

"You're back!" He all but threw himself into the much older immortals arms. He was so excited he didn't notice the darker male flinch, but he did hear the wince of pain.

"You're hurt!" Stephanie said, confused. The nanos should have healed any injury by now.

"I'll be fine," the hunter said. "The nanos have repaired most of the damage already."

Dave stared at his lifemate, fear evident in his eyes. "How badly were you injured?"

"Bad, but I survived. The nanos will finish the healing, once I have some more blood."

"Did you manage to rescue the other hunters?" Kurt asked. "And what about the mortal scientist? Did you capture him?"

Damion sat down on the couch, pulling Dave down beside him. "The scientist escaped, but is no longer mortal. He discovered how to turn himself. We freed the captured hunters, as well as some other...people he had held on his island."

"People?" Artie had picked up on the hesitation in the immortal's voice.

"Experiments. Not exactly human, but victims none the less."

The room fell into a worried silence as they thought about that.

Damion continued talking as he leaned on Dave for support and comfort. "Lucian sent me back here to keep an eye on all of you while they continue to hunt for the doctor. Other hunters will be passing through at regular intervals to check up on things as well."

They talked for another hour, mostly about keeping an eye out for unknown immortals. He gave them a description of the doctor, reminding those who weren't immortal that the doctor could try using mind control on them. They talked about techniques to fight the mind control, and those immortals among them offered to help them learn to block their minds.

When they finally broke up for the night, they were in a more somber mood.


	21. Hang Outs and Hideouts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm introducing an original character in this chapter, loosely based on the experiments Lynsay Sands' mad scientist (whose name is Dr. Dressler, BTW) created on his island. The insane doctor was into gene splicing and altering DNA, and while Lynsay didn't mention this character, I think he would have been something the evil man would have created. Also, I'm tampering with the show's time line again.

"And the winner of the duets sing off is...Kurt and Blaine!" Mr. Schue announced at the end of Glee practice on Friday. Kurt grinned and kissed his lifemate as the others applauded.

"Congratulation boys," Mercedes said, smiling.

"Thanks, 'Cedes. You two were awesome, too." He hugged his friend. "I'm sorry you didn't win."

"It's okay. I'm one of the leads for the Troubletones song, and Unique is leading on one of the group numbers, so it's no big deal."

They were all happy with the way things were going with the preparation for Nationals, the choreography and arrangements of the songs going smoothly.

It was almost becoming a custom by now for the entire group, plus Joe, Dave and Damion to hang out at the Hummel-Hudson home on Fridays after school, though today someone was missing.

"Where's Puck?" Blaine asked Lauren.

The large girl just shrugged. "He said he had a family issue to deal with, but he didn't explain exactly what it was. He'll be back on Monday."

While most of the guys played video games, Kurt, Blaine, Unique, and several of the girls began making dinner, deciding to fire up the grill outside to cook chicken, ribs, and burgers. They talked about the numbers they'd been working on for Nationals, and speculating on who they'd be competing against and what they might be singing, and places they'd like to visit in Chicago while they were there.

They were just putting the ribs on the grill when Damion came out. "I just got a call from Lucian. Eshe and Armand will be here on Monday to check on things and visit for a few weeks."

Kurt smiled. "Cool, it'll be nice getting to know them better, and I'm sure you're eager to spend some time with your sister."

Damion nodded. "I did not get the chance to tell her about finding my lifemate. I'm happy she'll get to meet him. Amani is glad she'll be here for a while. She met Mercedes at the family reunion, but they didn't really get the chance to get to know each other. Now we'll all have the chance to get to know each other's lifemates better."

"Speaking of lifemates," Mercedes piped up, looking at Quinn. "What is going on between you and Joe?"

The former cheerleader blushed slightly, but let out a little sigh of defeat. "We're taking things slow."

"What does that mean?" Tina asked. "Are you lifemates or not?"

The blond girl sat down on one of the deck chairs, on the verge of tears. "I didn't want this, you know. I don't want to be immortal. I don't want to out live Beth."

Kurt went to her, sitting beside her and hugging her. "Oh sweetie, there is time for you to figure things out. Who knows, maybe Beth has a lifemate out there too? Don't let fear of the unknown hold you back. If you and Joe are lifemates, his only concern will be making you happy. If it means moving Heaven and Earth to find that girl a lifemate, he'll do it. Just give him a chance. You deserve to be happy, too."

Quinn smiled weakly and hugged him back. "Thanks, Kurt. I'm sorry to be so weepy."

"Hey, don't worry about it! We've all been there! Here!" He handed her a tissue. She wiped her eyes, and hugged him again. The rest of the gang came out then, and Joe took Kurt's spot beside her. Soon enough the conversation changed to something more mundane.

…

Kurt was sitting in the library Monday after lunch, finishing up a research paper for his Government class when he got the distinct feeling that he was being watched. He couldn't pinpoint where the sensation was coming from, and he didn't see anyone in the general area. He went back to reading the reference book in front of him, but the feeling persisted.

Creeped out, he gathered his things and decided to finish the paper later. He walked to his locker, but the feeling of being watched followed him. He glanced around the nearly empty hallway. Most of the students were at lunch, either in the cafeteria, or in the courtyard, but there were a few wandering the halls.

None of them even seemed to notice him. He scanned their minds anyway. Finding nothing out of the ordinary in any of their thoughts, he went to his locker and collected his books for his afternoon classes.

"Hello!"

Startled, Kurt spun around at the voice. A young boy of about six or seven stood there, staring at Kurt. The boy had hair that was such a shiny shade of black, it appeared to have blue highlights. His eyes seemed to have three rings of color in three distinct shades of green, starting with a pale mint near the iris, and blending into a forest and then dark emerald on the outer edges. His skin was a shade darker than Santana's.

Kurt glanced around, wondering if the boy was someone's younger brother that had wandered off. "Hi! Who are you?"

"I'm Tonio," the boy said in a heavily accented voice. "And you're Kurt Hummel. My new momma says we're going to be related."

Before Kurt could ask anything more, a dark skinned woman with hair dyed blonde and red to look like flames came running around the corner. "Tonio! There you are! Don't ever just disappear like that! You had us worried!"

"Aunt Eshe?" Kurt said, glancing between her and the child.

"Kurt! It's good to see you again, and under much better circumstances than the first time. How have you been, darling?" She hugged him as she spoke. "Your Uncle Armand will be here in a minute, he was talking with Damion on the phone."

Kurt nodded. "I'm doing fine. I never did say thank you for helping to rescue Blaine last year. I didn't get the chance to talk with you at the family reunion."

"We're family, Kurt, that's what we do. You don't need to thank me."

The boy smiled up at Kurt. "I'm family too!"

Eshe smiled sweetly down at the boy. "That's right, Sweetheart. Kurt, this is Tonio, he was one of Dr. Dressler's...experiments that we rescued from the nightmare island."

Kurt raised his eyebrow in question. The boy was one of the genetic mutations created by the insane scientist? He studied the small boy. Other than the unusual eye color, the boy seemed 100% human. As if reading Kurt's thoughts (could he do that?) the boy grinned.

"Wanna see a trick I can do?" And before either of them could speak, the boy began to change color, until he blended into his surroundings, and was virtually invisible, even to Kurt's preternatural vision.

"Tonio!" Eshe said sternly. "Not here! It's not safe."

The boy quickly returned to normal, but looked sad. "I'm sorry, momma Eshe. I forgot."

Kurt smiled kindly at the boy, glancing around to make sure no one had seen the impressive display. "Wow, I wish I could do that. It would have come in handy a couple years ago when I didn't want people to see me."

"Why?" The boy asked with all the bluntness of a young child.

Kurt shrugged. "Some times when you are different from other people, they get jealous, and try to make you feel bad about it."

"They made you feel bad?" Tonio said, moving closer and taking Kurt's hand.

"Some of them did. But eventually I learned that they didn't really hate me, they hated themselves for not having the courage to be true to themselves. And when they realized they couldn't make me feel bad anymore, they stopped. Some of them are even my friends now."

Tonio smiled. "I'd like to meet your friends."

"Well, right now I have to get to class, but, if your new mom here says it is okay, you can come back at three and meet my friends in the choir room."

The boy turned to Eshe. "Can I? Please? Please please please?

She smiled at him. "I think that would be a good idea. Armand and I just wanted to check out the school, and I wanted to say hello to Mercedes. I didn't get to talk to her much at the reunion either."

Just then the girl in question came around the corner, along with Blaine, Stephanie, Artie, and Karofsky.

Mercedes smiled when she saw her sort of sister in law. "Eshe! Hi!"

The two women hugged, and a round of introductions were made. Eshe glanced at Karofsky, a slight frown on her face. "Damion didn't mention he had found a lifemate. I shall have to box his ears soundly!" But the glare was marred when she broke into a grin. "Welcome to the Family."

"Want to see what I can do?" Tonio asked, but before he could disappear again, Kurt stopped him.

"Why don't you wait until you come back this afternoon? You can show everyone then." Just then a thought struck him. "Hey, were you the one watching me in the library a little while ago?"

The boy grinned. "I'm really good at playing hide and seek!"

Kurt laughed. "I bet you are!"

…

Kurt arrived at the choir room that afternoon to find his Aunt and Tonio already there, along with his Uncle Armand. Kurt was looking forward to spending some time with his reclusive uncle. Armand's first lifemate, Susanna, had been murdered shortly after the birth of their son, Nicholas. Armand had then married another immortal woman, who was not a lifemate to him, but whose companionship was welcomed at the time.

They had a son, Kurt's favorite cousin, Thomas, but not long after Thomas was born, Althea was murdered as well. After his third spouse, another immortal named Rosamund, had been murdered shortly after the birth of their daughter, Jeanne Louise, Armand had retreated from the family, for fear that who ever was killing the mothers of his children would turn their ire on to those said children.

After Nicholas' first lifemate, Annie had been killed, and Nicholas framed for the murder of a mortal, it was Nicholas' second lifemate, Jo Whelan, that had figured out what was happening. Eshe had been sent by Lucian to investigate the deaths of Armand's lifemate and wives, and discovered that they were also lifemates.

The killer had been caught, but had died in a fire that had been deliberately set by his sister. Only recently had his uncle come out of seclusion. He smiled at the older immortal as he entered the room.

"Uncle Armand! I'm glad you are here! And that you'll be staying for a while!"

The older man smiled at him, too. "I'm glad too, Kurt. It's about darn time I meet the rest of the family and get to know them better." The two hugged briefly as the rest of the New Directions filed in.

Tonio was bouncing, excited to see so many people. He stopped dead in his tracks, though, and started talking excitedly in Spanish when he spotted Santana. The Latina looked him over, and to everyone's shock, knelt down and smiled kindly at the boy, speaking softly to him in his native language. After a moment, the little boy squealed happily and threw himself at her for a big hug. She glanced around the room at the others, and after rolling her eyes, just smiled happily.

"What was that all about?" Blaine asked, slipping an arm around Kurt's waist. It was Eshe who replied as she hugged Unique, her grandchild.

"Tonio mistook your friend for an Angel. Seems she looks a lot like Sarita, the woman who helped us rescue the prisoners from the island. She's your cousin Domitian's lifemate, by the way. Your friend told Tonio she'd be honored to be his Aunt."

The boy hurried over to Kurt just then. "Can I show them my trick now?"

The immortal teen glanced around the room, and saw that everyone was there now, and Mr. Schue was just closing the doors. "Okay. Everyone, this is Tonio, and he wants to show you all something. Remember to be kind, please!"

They all turned to smile at the young boy, and then blinked in shock as he disappeared in front of their eyes.

"Dude! How'd he do that?" Puck asked, looking all around for the boy. They were all surprised again when they heard the boy giggle from the vicinity of the ceiling in the back corner. They all turned and looked up to see the boy hanging upside down from all four limbs like a lizard.

"Kurt! You're new friend is Spiderman!" Finn called out in awe.

"Tonio was one of Dr. Dressler's experiments," Armand explained. "He spliced human DNA with that of a chameleon and gecko, creating a hybrid. Tonio was lucky. There were seven others before him, but none of them survived."

Eshe smiled fondly at the boy, who was now climbing back down the wall with the ease of the reptile that made up part of his genetics. "Armand and I are in the process of adopting him. Unlike some of the other captives, Tonio is capable of integrating with humans. We just have to teach him to be cautious with his abilities."

Mr. Schue smiled at their guests. "Well, he fits right in with this group, and is welcome to join us whenever he'd like while you are here. Would you like to take a seat, and watch our rehearsals? I believe Rachel was going to start us off with her solo, and then we were going to work on the choreography for Kurt and Blaine's duet."

…

Rehearsals that week went well, and Tonio was a delight. He learned the choreography for all of their numbers for Nationals, and even out danced Brittany and Mike one day during an impromptu dance off during a break one afternoon. Mr. Schue had even quipped that it was a shame the boy was too young to officially join the group, as he'd be the perfect secret weapon.

Friday afternoon, they were all getting ready to head over to the Hummel-Hudson home when Quinn's cellphone pinged an incoming text. She glanced at it with a frown.

"Something wrong?" Stephanie asked.

"It's Shelby, Beth's adopted mom." She was dialing the phone as she spoke. "She says it's an emergency."

She put the phone to her ear. It was answered on the first ring. "Quinn?"

"Shelby? What's up? Is everything okay?"

Shelby Corcoran sighed. "Everything is fine, but I was hoping you could do me a HUGE favor. One of my best friends is very sick and is in the hospital, and I said I would fly out to New York to see her, but I don't want Beth to be stuck in the waiting room of a hospital all weekend. Would it possibly be okay for Beth to spend the weekend with you?"

Quinn relaxed visibly. "I would love that, actually. There is someone I'd like to introduce her to."

"Great, can you come pick her up this afternoon? My flight leaves at seven, and I still need to pack a bag for both of us."

"Sure, I'll be there in about forty minutes."

"Thank you so much, Quinn, I really appreciate this."

"No, really, it's not a problem at all. You really are doing me a favor, actually."

She hung up, smiling. Stephanie smiled back at her, having heard both sides of the conversation.

"Would you like some company for the drive?" She offered.

"Sure, that sounds great." The two girls said good bye to the others, telling them they'd be over in a couple hours.

The two girls had become really good friends over the last several months, and were laughing and talking as Quinn drove. They were on a back road in a rural area that didn't see much traffic. Quinn had made the drive several times over the past year to visit her daughter, and had rarely ever seen another vehicle.

She was looking over at the younger girl in the passenger seat, joking about lifemates, and didn't notice the other car come barreling out of a side street. Stephanie glanced over at her and spotted it, but it was too late to warn the blonde girl.


	22. In a Heartbeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I know I left you all hanging on a cliff! I won't keep you in suspense much longer! Someone else finds out about immortals! Also bringing in one last Glee cannon character! There aren't too many people left, so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out who!

"Okay, so we're agreed on pizzas then?" Kurt asked, pulling the takeout sheet from the drawer. They'd arrived at his house about half an hour ago, and after a long discussion of what to have for dinner, they had finally narrowed it down to pizza or Thai, and ended up flipping a quarter.

There was a murmur of yeses and yeahs from most of the group, though Puck was too busy messing with his phone. Kurt had noticed the boy had been distracted a lot lately, but when he'd asked about it, the darker boy just shrugged and said it was family issues. Kurt hadn't wanted to intrude on the boy's privacy by reading his thoughts, so had simply accepted it and left the other boy alone, knowing he would tell them all when he was ready.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and was about to start dialing when it began playing Bitch, the ringtone he had set for Quinn's phone. He smiled as he answered it.

"Hey Quinn, what's up?" He frowned when no one answered him. "Quinn? Did you accidentally butt dial me?"

As he listened, his preternatural hearing suddenly picked up on the sound of someone whimpering in pain. "Quinn? Stephanie? What's happened? Someone answer me!"

He'd already snatched up his keys and was heading for the door when he finally heard a voice on the other end of the line. "Kurt?"

"Stephanie, thank Gaga! What happened?" By now the others realized something wasn't right, and those immortals among them who could hear both sides of the conversation were filling in the mortals. Soon all of them were piling into cars. Blaine, Joe, Artie and Finn were in Kurt's SUV, even before Stephanie had explained what was wrong. Mr. Schue remained behind with Tonio, along with Damion and Dave.

"Come on, Stephanie, talk to me!" He plugged the phone into the SUV's blue tooth jack as he pulled out.

Her voice was weak and filled with pain when she finally began to speak. "He came out of no where! She didn't have a chance to react before he hit us!"

Kurt could feel the fear radiating from Joe and Artie. "Who hit you? How bad are you hurt? What happened to Quinn?" His first thought was that Dr. Dressler had attempted to take the girls. He almost breathed a sigh of relief when she spoke again.

"Some farmer in a pickup truck. He wasn't hurt. I convinced him that he had hit a deer, and to take his truck to your dad's shop for repairs. I made him forget about us and leave. I lost my phone, but Quinn's fell into my lap."

Kurt thought the girl sounded like she was in shock. "How bad are you girls hurt?" He asked again. It took the girl a minute or so to answer him this time.

"I think I have a concussion. Things keep going fuzzy, other than that I'm not bleeding too much." He heard Artie's sigh of relief at that. "Quinn's pretty bad, though. He t boned us on that side, and she's pinned in, and she's bleeding a lot. I think her leg is partially amputated."

Kurt, Blaine, Finn and Artie all began to swear, but Joe had gone deathly still.

"Turn her..." The long haired boy whispered.

"What?" Kurt exclaimed as the others went silent.

"Turn her!" Joe almost shouted. "We won't make it in time! I can't lose her! Please, Stephanie. Turn her for me!"

"I-I can't, I'm endentate!" Stephanie sobbed over the line.

"I don't care! Just save her for me! We'll worry about everything else later!"

The four boys looked at him. The ramifications of this would be complicated. Technically, this would count as Joe's one turn, not Stephanie's, despite the fact that it would be the girl's blood that was used. They had already spoken to Lucian and agreed that it would be Kurt's blood used to turn Artie when the time came, since endentates generally didn't share their blood due to the chance of the recipient going insane and becoming a no fanger or dying during the turn. Plus, Quinn was unconscious and couldn't give consent.

"Please!" Joe begged.

"I don't have any blood with me!" the teen immortal argued.

Kurt was the one who replied. "I have blood. We'll be there as fast as we can. I think you should do it. Joe is right, we won't get there before she bleeds out."

He heard the girl sob, and then the sound of metal being torn from some part of the car. A grunt of pain as the girl sliced her wrist. Without fangs to tear the flesh, there was no other way for her to release the flow of blood.

The silence stretched out, and was only broken by the sound of Blaine speaking softly into his phone to the others.

"Amani, tell Puck to drop you and Mercedes off and go to Shelby's house to get Beth. You two catch up with Santana and Brittany and go back to the house and get everything set up for a turning." He then texted the Latina to let her know what was happening.

After what seemed like an eternity to the five boys in the SUV, Kurt spoke. "Stephanie? What's going on? Talk to us sweetie."

There was a hesitant pause before she replied. "The bleeding has slowed, but hasn't stopped. She's beginning to thrash, though. I don't have any chains to restrain her, and I'm afraid she's going to injure herself beyond repair!"

"We're almost there, I can see you in the distance. I have chains, blood, and an IV stand in the back. Just hold on for a minute more!" After he'd crashed his Navigator the previous year, his Uncle Lucian had replaced it with a specially modified rogue hunter SUV, with everything they would need except the medications used to help ease a mortal through the turning.

A loud scream split the air as the nanos went to work on the former cheerleader. Joe was out of the SUV before it had even come to a complete stop. Blaine and Finn helped Artie out and into his wheelchair, as Kurt ran ahead to asses the situation. Puck passed them by in his truck, a grim expression on his face.

The others, minus Santana, Brit, Mercedes and Amani, pulled up as Kurt was pulling the car apart with his bare hands to free his trapped friends. He freed Stephanie first, and Blaine and Finn helped the younger girl to the SUV and got her a couple of bags of blood.

Lauren, Rachel, Sam, Tina and Mike watched in awe as Kurt and Joe practically tore the car in half, finally freeing the blonde girl. Joe then carefully carried the thrashing girl to the SUV and laid her out on the back seat, as Kurt went to the back doors and began opening panels. He grabbed the heavy chains and moved back to the passenger section. Without the meds, it took all of the immortals present to hold the girl in place until they could get her chained down. Even with all of them, it was hard work in the cramped space, although the small quarters meant that when Quinn had managed to free her uninjured leg and kicked Blaine in the chest, he only fell back a few feet instead of flying across a room, preventing more serious injury.

Once she was finally secured, and an IV in place, and after Kurt had checked on Blaine to make sure he wasn't too seriously hurt, they all climbed out of the vehicle. "Finn, you ride with Tina and Mike in Lauren's car. Artie and Steph can ride in Rory's van with Rachel, Sam and Unique. Rory, bring me any blood you can spare. Joe, I know you are staying with Quinn."

They all nodded and began to load up the vehicles again. As Kurt was walking back to his vehicle, Puck called. "I've got Beth. I told Shelby that Quinn was in an accident, that she wasn't badly hurt, but the car was undrivable. I'm heading back now."

"Thanks Puck," Kurt said.

"No problem. How is she doing?" The boy obviously couldn't hear the girl's shrieks of agony as the turning progressed.

"Alive. See you back at the house."

…

Kurt was glad they got home when they did. None of the neighbors were home from work yet, so no one noticed them carrying the screaming, thrashing girl inside. It took three of them to get her into the house. Carole was there waiting for them, as Amani had called her and his dad to let them know what was happening.

"Bastian is sending someone with the drugs, they should be here any minute. Let's get her into one of the guest rooms, quickly." She helped the three teens carry her up the stairs, where she had already stripped the bed of blankets and sheets and had covered it with a protective plastic liner. Once again all the immortals present helped hold her down so she could be rechained to the bed. They heard a doorbell in the distance, but none of them could move to answer it.

Mr. Schue came up a moment later with a small medical cooler. "The drugs are here."

Carole took them from the man, who had gone pale when he had seen the writhing girl, covered in blood practically from head to toe. "Thank you. Why don't you and the others head home? This will take several hours. We'll keep you all informed."

The curly haired man shook his head. "I'd like to stay, if you don't mind."

The rest of New Directions, who had followed their teacher upstairs, agreed. Once the drugs had been administered and it was safe to let the girl go, Kurt lead everyone but Carole, Joe, Stephanie, Santana and Brit downstairs. Stephanie went to one of the other guest rooms to shower and change. Santana and Brit helped Carole clean Quinn up some.

The other's arrived downstairs just as Armand, Eshe, and Burt arrived. The older couple had been visiting Josh and Pam, who had just returned from their Honeymoon. Puck and Beth had arrived at the same time as the A.B.B. courier.

"I sent one of the guys out to collect what's left of the car," Burt informed them. "And I dealt with the farmer, too. His truck didn't have too much damage. I gave him a loaner until I can get it fixed. I reinforced the story about hitting a deer in his mind as well. I'm not going to charge him or the insurance company for the repairs."

They finally got around to ordering the pizzas, and Blaine and Kurt drove to the store to pick up chips, veggie trays, drinks, and ice cream.

After a while, Carole came down stairs. Everyone glanced up at her expectantly. "She's doing fine, past the point where the endentate nanos would have been a danger. Joe will stay with her and change her blood bags. The nanos have already almost repaired her leg, and a laceration on her head that was bleeding profusely."

Mr. Schue still looked pale. "Is this what a turning is normally like?"

Carole smiled at him. "Pretty much, yes. It seems fairly traumatic, but once it's over she'll fine."

Mercedes shook her head. "She wasn't ready for this. She wanted to wait till Beth was older."

They all turned and looked at the young girl. She was laughing as Tonio entertained her by changing his skin color, and even managed to give himself a teddy bear pattern like the girl's favorite blanket.

"I think Quinn will handle it fine," Tina said. "She's strong, and she's stubborn. We all know that."

"Still," Kurt said. "I just wish Greg was here." Gregory Hewitt was his cousin Lissianna's life mate, and a psychologist. "He could talk her through it."

After a moment of contemplative silence, Mr. Schue spoke up. "There is someone we could call."

It only took a second for them all to understand who he was talking about.

"She doesn't know about immortals, and we aren't allowed to tell her." Blaine said.

"True," Armand agreed. "But we can show her."

"Do you think she'll be okay with it?" Finn asked. "I mean, no offense, but she is a bit..." He trailed off, unsure of the proper word.

"OCD?" Mr. Schue offered. "I think she'll be fine. There are enough immortals here to handle her if she gets upset. They can always erase her memory if it is too much for her."

"Yes, but then she'd need to change jobs. Seeing Kurt and the others every day could trigger a memory." Carole said.

The older mortal paused to consider that. "I don't think it will be necessary. She'll handle it fine. She loves these kids."

After a few more minutes of discussion, they agreed. "Wait to call her until morning, though," Burt said. "By then the worst of the turn will be over, and we won't have to worry about Ms. Pillsbury being scared off by the screams."

…

Emma Pillsbury wasn't sure what she had expected to find when Will Schuester had called and asked her to come over to the Hummel-Hudson house. He had said it was urgent. What she had not expected was to walk into the kitchen to find Kurt Hummel sitting there with a bag of blood affixed to what appeared to be a pair of very realistic fangs. Or for little Stephanie McGill to be holding the living room couch up all by herself, one handed, as Beth searched for the toy she had dropped. Or for the little boy that had been hanging out with the Glee club all week to be hanging upside down on all fours from the ceiling, laughing as Puck and Burt tried to coax him down.

The boy spotted her, and squealed excitedly, and dropped to the floor beside her. "Ooh! You're so pretty!"

"Emma!" Will said, coming down the stairs.

"Will?" She said in a soft voice. "What is going on here?"

He smiled at her reassuringly. "Come on, have a seat. Kurt and the others have something they'd like to tell you."

Puck picked Beth up, and Stephanie set the couch back down, allowing the choir director to lead the guidance counselor over and take a seat. She had sat quietly and listened to the fantastical story the auburn haired boy told, with a few embellishments from the other immortals (immortals! She still couldn't believe it.)

"So now, Quinn is going through the turning, and we don't know how she is going to react," Kurt said. "And because Stephanie is endentate, we don't know how that will affect her, either."

Ms. Pillsbury studied everyone in the room in silence for several minutes as she considered her thoughts. She could see obvious concern and love on every face, and while the thought that she was sleeping and this was all a dream flitted through her mind, she didn't feel afraid. That made her curious.

"Is someone controlling me right now? Making me stay calm?" She asked.

It was Stephanie who answered. "No, no one is controlling you. We are monitoring your thoughts, though. You are handling this really well."

Will smiled at her proudly. "I know it's a lot to take in. I've only known for a few weeks, and I am still processing it."

She smiled shyly in return. "And you want me to talk to Quinn when she wakes up, and make sure she's okay with what happened?"

They nodded at her. "Well, I don't know if I can talk to her about the whole no fang thing, I still don't understand that myself, and I really don't think I can talk about the b-blood thing..." She stammered.

"You don't have to worry about that part," Armand said. "She already knows about the blood, and as for the no fanger part, Eshe can deal with that if it becomes an issue."

The others all dropped there heads at that statement. "What do you mean?" Emma asked in confusion.

No one seemed to want to answer. Finally, Stephanie replied, almost in tears. "Eshe is an enforcer for the council. If Quinn is no fanger instead of endentate like me, she'll need to be put down like a rabid dog before she can harm anyone."

…

A low moan woke her, and she only realized she was the one making the sound when she opened her eyes and closed her mouth. She felt like she had been run over by a semi truck that had then backed up and rolled over her again. Her mouth was dry, and she tried to swallow.

"Here," a voice Quinn recognized said from beside her. She turned her head and saw Kurt sitting in a chair in a room she didn't recognize. He held a glass of water, and smiled kindly at her as he helped her sit up to drink.

Once she'd drank most of the water, she settled back on the bed, sitting up against the head board. "What happened?" She asked.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Kurt asked.

She frowned. It was always bad news when someone answered a question with another question. She thought back. "Stephanie and I were going to go pick up Beth from Shelby's. We were joking around. And then she got a horrified look on her face and that's it. I'm assuming we got into some kind of accident?"

"You were t boned by a farmer in a pickup truck." He didn't say anything else, just sat there and watched her reaction.

"Joe turned me, didn't he?" Her voice was flat, emotionless.

"Joe wasn't there. None of us were. There wasn't enough time, you were bleeding severely, your leg nearly severed."

She frowned in confusion. "But how...?" And then she understood. "Stephanie?"

Kurt nodded. There was a few moments of silence as she thought about this. Kurt took her hand. "Ms. Pillsbury is here, she knows about us. If you want, you can talk to her about this."

She just shrugged. "Where's Joe? And Stephanie?"

"They're both downstairs. They wanted to give you a chance to think things over before you spoke to them. Beth is here too. Puck picked her up. He told Shelby that you had been in an accident, but had down played how bad it was. She said to tell you to take it easy."

She nodded again, and smiled weakly. Kurt looked serious now, though. "How are you feeling?"

She studied his face, and suddenly understood why he seemed so concerned. "I can read your thoughts!"

Kurt frowned. "What am I thinking?"

"You're worried I might turn no fanger." She squeezed his hand. "It's okay, I know what is going on. I read the books, remember?"

Kurt tried to laugh. "Okay, so, you don't feel the deranged urge to attack someone for blood, do you?"

She smiled. "I don't know, I haven't felt the hunger pains yet. Maybe I should try and fed now, though, so I don't go insane with blood lust?"

The pale boy smiled at her courage. He reached into a small ice chest she hadn't noticed before and pulled out a bag of blood and a straw. The sight of the crimson liquid did make her salivate, but she didn't feel the need to snatch it from him and gnaw on it. He showed her how to puncture the bag with the straw, and grimaced at the cold substance. Surprisingly, it didn't taste too bad.

As she drank, she could still read the concern in his mind. She tried to smile at him around the straw. She finished the bag, and he asked if she wanted another. She considered for the moment, but shook her head.

"Shall I send Ms. Pillsbury in?" She thought about it. She didn't think she was freaking out or anything, but maybe it would be a good idea to talk about it with the counselor before she faced Joe and Stephanie. She wasn't upset with either of them, she knew that. She just wanted to work out her own fears before she spoke with them. She nodded at Kurt.

…

They spent most of Saturday just sitting in groups, talking. Kurt noticed that Dave, Mercedes and Artie were whispering by themselves in the kitchen. He had a hunch he knew what they were talking about.

"Having second thoughts about the turning?" He asked, smiling at them. They all gave him a guilty look. "It's okay, you know. Now that you know what to expect, I don't blame you for having doubts. All I can say is, it's worth it in the end. If you'd like, you can talk to Carole, who has already gone through it."

Mercedes smiled at him. "Thanks, Boo. It's not that I don't want to go through it, it was just scary to watch it."

"And hear it," Artie added. "I think I am going to have nightmares about those screams for the rest of my life."

Kurt smiled at him. "I could always dampen your memories of them, so they don't bother you so much. Besides, when you three go through the turning, it won't be so bad. We'll be prepared and have the drugs ready as soon as it's safe to give them to you. You won't have to suffer like Quinn did."

Dave looked a little relieved, and when Carole joined them a few minutes later, all three decided perhaps it was a good idea to talk to the woman about it. Kurt left them to it, going to the fridge to grab a bottle of water before heading into the living room. He almost bumped into Puck, who was grabbing his keys and heading to the door.

"Sorry, Hummel. I have to run for a bit, have something I need to take care of."

Before the taller boy could leave, Kurt caught his arm. "You know you can trust us with whatever you are going through, right?"

Puck looked at him for a moment, and seemed to relax a little. He nodded, and gave a lopsided smile before he left.

…

By Saturday night, Quinn had talked with Ms. Pillsbury and Eshe, and had begun to learn how to be an immortal. Like Stephanie, she could read the older immortals as easily as a mortal, but unlike the younger girl, she was able to block out unwanted thoughts.

"Stephanie had noticed that Quinn was harder to read even as a mortal," Kurt explained. "We think that has something to do with it. She already had some natural ability at shielding her mind. The only one she hasn't been able to read is Joe, which just confirms their lifemate bond."

"She's also already learning how to control a mortal's mind, too," Stephanie added. Finn, Tina, and Sam had all agreed to let the girl practice on them. She had put them through their paces with ease.

"All and all, I think she'll be fine," Eshe said. "She was playing with Beth and Tonio just a little while ago, and when she began to feel the cramping from the need for blood, hadn't even hesitated before simply going for a bag. I don't think we need worry about her going no fanger."

They had all let out a sigh of relief. Everyone but Stephanie, Artie, Mercedes, Amani, Dave, Damion, Quinn and Joe went home. Beth and Tonio had fallen asleep together on the recliner.

Blaine and Kurt were the last to go to bed that night. Kurt sighed as they sat up in Kurt's bed, watching a video.

"What are you thinking about?" His lifemate asked, massaging Kurt's shoulders.

The pale boy hesitated before responding. "Was it worth it?"

"What?"

"The pain of the turning. Was it worth it to be with me?" He sounded so insecure. Blaine leaned in and kissed his shoulder.

"Yes. I'm thankful every day to be here with you. Stop worrying about the others. They'll be fine, and once it's all over and done with, they'll be happy, too."

Kurt smiled, and pulled the other boy in for a kiss. Soon the movie was forgotten, and they were lost in each other.

…

Monday afternoon, they were all sitting in Glee, except Puck, who had left school at lunch time without explanation. They were talking among themselves as Rachel worked on her solo, when the Mohawked boy arrived.

"Hey, guys," He said. "I know I've been distracted lately. I'm sorry, but there's been a really good reason for it. I'd like to introduce you all to someone. He'll be starting school here tomorrow."

They all turned to the door when a handsome biracial boy entered. He kind of looked familiar. "Guys, this is Jake. Puckerman. He's my half brother."


	23. Brothers, Boyfriends, and Baggage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm bringing in two more Argeneau characters, Mirabeau and Tiny. Mirabeau appeared in the very first book and several other books. Tiny first appeared in A Bite to Remember, and appeared in several other books as well. And of course someone has to find out the secret of McKinley High's Glee club! Oh, and Nick and Jeff return!

"So, I took my mom out for her birthday last month," Puck said later that afternoon as he skimmed the Hummel-Hudsons' pool. "I didn't want to take her to Breadstix, though. So my sister and I decided to take her to this place over in Akron. And we're sitting there laughing, and the waitress comes over, and smiles at my sister, and then looks at me, and suddenly looks like she had seen a ghost."

Kurt took a sip of his lemonade as he listened to the taller boy talk. Puck hadn't looked at him or Blaine since they got here. He could feel the tension pouring off the Jewish boy.

"So then she looks at my mom, and just bursts into tears and starts apologizing. My mom is sitting there, stunned, realizing that this was the woman my dad had cheated on her with. The lady, Daniella, swore up and down that she had no idea that he was married when she was dating him, and broke it off the moment she found out, but by then she was already pregnant."

He set aside the skimmer and took out the chemical test kit to test the pH and chlorine levels. "My mom was pretty upset, of course, but she understood. The two of them started talking, and Daniella mentioned that her son was having issues at his old school, and was afraid he'd turn out just like our dad. I know I don't have the greatest track record, but I offered to talk to him, more because I was curious than anything else. So I agreed to meet him the next day after school. He's a good kid, but he's got an attitude problem."

"Kind of like you, actually," Kurt said, and the other boy finally looked at him.

"Yeah, well, at least he never got a girl pregnant."

"Don't be so harsh on yourself," Blaine said. "We all make mistakes. And you really have come a long way since then, from what Kurt has told me."

Puck just shrugged and went back to work on the pool. "Well, anyway, his attitude was getting him in trouble at his old school, and his grades were falling. So I convinced his mom to transfer him here, and make him join Glee club to try and get that chip off his shoulder. I just thought it worked for me, maybe it will work for him."

"I could tell you had some positive influence on him already." Kurt said, standing and bringing the taller teen a glass of lemonade. "He already looks up to you. I think Glee will help him out a lot."

…

Of course, now that Jake had joined Glee, Kurt, Blaine, Stephanie and the other immortals had to be cautious once again, but it was hard to keep Tonio in check. Kurt had to alter Jake's memory a couple of times that first week after he had seen the boy 'disappear.' The little boy looked contrite when Kurt reminded him that he wasn't supposed to do that in front of people. "But why can't I do it in front of him? He is in Glee club, and they all know. Why don't you tell him about you and me?"

Kurt thought about it. The young man was Puck's brother, after all. Kurt had a lot to think about over the next several weeks before graduation. He'd been distracted a lot since Quinn's turning.

Before he could make a decision, he heard a commotion coming from around the corner, and his name was mentioned. He jogged down the corridor to find a very large immortal male standing next to a petite immortal woman with fuchsia tipped hair. There was a crowd of students gawking at them. They spotted Kurt and excused themselves from the students.

"Kurt Hummel?" The woman asked. He just nodded.

"Do you know where Stephanie, Rory, and the others are?"

"Yes, why? Who are you?" He asked, not recognizing these two immortals. Just then, Tonio caught up with them.

"Mirabeau!" He squealed and ran forward for a hug. Kurt recognized that name. Mirabeau La Roche was Eshe's partner in the Enforcers, at least until they had each found their lifemates. So the male must be her lifemate, Tiny. He looked the larger male over. Who ever had given him that appellation must have had a poor sense of humor.

The man smiled at him. "My full name is Tinh McGraw. My father named me after the Vietnamese man who saved his life in the war."

Kurt frowned. How had the other man read his mind? Was he really that distracted that he wasn't shielding? With a sigh he shook the older immortal's hand.

"We need to find the others quickly," Mirabeau said, holding Tonio. "We need to get you all back to your house ASAP, your friends from Dalton, too. Dressler was spotted in the region."

Kurt swallowed and pulled out his cell phone, quickly sending out a text. "Come on, I told them all to gather in the choir room." He led them further down the hall and around the corner. Mercedes, Stephanie, and Artie were there already. Quinn arrived right behind Kurt, and Rory and Unique came just behind her. Sugar was with Rory. The rest of the Glee club, plus Mr. Schue, Ms. Pillsbury, Dave, and Joe arrived a minute later. The only one unaccounted for was Blaine. Kurt frowned, unease welling up inside him.

He was on the verge of panic when the dark haired boy came running in. "Sorry, I was in the office and couldn't get away right away. What's going on?"

Mirabeau glanced around at the room full of teens. So it was true, there was an entire class of mortals here that knew about their kind, and several of them had turned out to be lifemates. Interesting. "Dr. Dressler was spotted in Tennessee two days ago. Lucian wants you all in one location where we can keep an eye on all of you. Eshe and Armand are already on their way with Amani, Nick and Jeff. Damion is with them, too."

Mr. Schue nodded. "It is Friday afternoon, we were supposed to have rehearsal today, but if there is danger, I agree, there is safety in numbers. Let's stay together and head over to the Hummel-Hudson home."

They all quickly grabbed up their bags and books and were heading out when Jake came around the corner. They had forgotten about him for the moment. "Where's everyone going?"

"Oh, uh, Glee was canc..." Puck started, but Kurt interrupted him.

"An insane scientist that my Uncle Lucian has been tracking was spotted in the region. He's very dangerous, and he's after some of us. We're going to my house, where we'll be safe. Come on, we'll explain everything when we get there."

Jake looked skeptical, but shrugged and joined them. They piled into several vehicles, and drove straight to the Hummel-Hudson house. When they arrived, they went to the kitchen to raid the refrigerator for drinks and snacks, while Kurt and Blaine went into the garage to the other fridge and gathered up several bags of blood.

Puck and Jake were talking quietly in the corner as the two passed around the bags of crimson liquid. At first the younger Puckerman didn't really notice, until Tonio tugged on his hand. "Want to see what I can do?"

Jake looked down at him. "Sure, kid. What can you do?"

Tonio giggled, and then slowly faded out. Jake was startled, but he could still feel the boy's hand holding his. "What the...?" Only then did he glance around to see if anyone else was seeing this and spotted several people sucking on what looked suspiciously like bags of blood.

"Relax, little bro," Puck said. "None of the people in this room will harm you. I know, I was shocked when I found out too, but it's alright. Just let them explain."

He listened, not sure he really believed what he was hearing. Immortals, Atlantis, and a mad scientist who created human hybrids? It sounded like science fiction, or like those books his mom liked to read. Actually, this was exactly like those books. "Sounds like those Argeneau books my mom reads by that Amerault guy."

Kurt laughed. "Yes, well, that is because Luc Amerault is actually my cousin, Lucern Argeneau. My full name is Kurt Elizabeth Argeneau Hummel, by the way."

"Okay. So why are you telling me all of this? You barely know me."

"Because you are Puck's brother, and because you are a member of New Directions, and they all know. And because you could be in danger now too."

"What do you mean?"

It was Mirabeau who answered. "If Dr. Dressler is heading this way, he'll be after Tonio, Kurt, and the rest of the immortals here, but now that he is also immortal, he'll be able to read your mind and know you are related to Puck, and that you know Kurt and the others. He could control you and make you help him take the others, or use you to get them to cooperate."

It was at this point that Eshe and Armond entered with Damion, Amani, Nick and Jeff. Dave and Mercedes each rushed over to hug their lifemates.

Eshe hugged Unique, and turned to speak. "I just spoke to Lucian. Josh Bricker and Pam are on their way. Burt and Carole will be here in a few minutes with enough food to feed everyone, too."

Armand put his arm around Kurt. "Lucian and his hunters are closing on Dressler. They are hoping to catch up to him tomorrow morning. I suggest you all let your parents know you will be spending the night here."

As promised, Burt and Carole arrived a short time later with large quantities of pizza, Thai, subs, and snack foods. Blaine, Nick, and Jeff sat with Stephanie and Artie and chatted about how the school year was going, and what they were planning for summer. Blaine kept looking around for Kurt, but his lifemate was no where to be seen.

Blaine knew Kurt had been preoccupied the past week, and he had an idea what was on the pale boy's mind. He excused himself and went to find the auburn haired boy. He found him in the kitchen, cleaning. He smiled as he watched the glasz eyed boy.

"You always clean when you are thinking too much." Kurt looked up at him, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah, well, I think I have plenty to be thinking about right now."

Blaine nodded, and moved closer, pinning the taller boy to the counter. "I'm not talking about Dressler. You don't think I haven't noticed how distracted you've been this week? You don't think I don't know what is on your mind?"

Kurt sighed and leaned into him, putting his head on Blaine's shoulder. "I got my NYADA letter last weekend. In all the drama of Quinn's turning I didn't even notice it at first. I found it Sunday morning. I'm a finalist. Carmen Tibideaux will be in Chicago for Nationals, and will be observing several of the candidates, including Rachel. And me."

Blaine smiled. "That's great, Kurt! I'm proud of you!"

Kurt sighed again. "It's what I've wanted for a long time, but now I'm not so sure. If I get in, it will mean going to New York alone, while you stay here for another year. I don't know if I want to be away from you for that long."

"Kurt, you can't pass up this opportunity. And besides, you may not have to go to New York by yourself."

"True, Rachel is bound to get in, but it won't be the same without you."

Blaine laughed. "You never asked me why I was in the office earlier."

Kurt frowned at the change of subject. "Why?"

"I was talking to Principal Sylvester about my credits. I only need five more credits to graduate. I can make them up in summer school. Now, I didn't get my application in in time for the fall semester, but I've already applied for the winter semester at NYADA, and I figure that while I am waiting, I can take a few classes at a local community college..."

His words were cut off as Kurt kissed him hard on the lips. "You never said anything to me!" his lifemate said.

"I wasn't sure if I would be able to work things out. I just got confirmation today. And of course I still need to pass the summer school classes. Did you really think I would let you go off to New York without me? I love you!"

"I love you, too!" They kissed again, and Kurt held on to him for a long while.

After they had all eaten, they ended up working on their songs for Nationals well into the night. Jeff and Nick cheered them on.

"You guys are going to kill it at Nationals!" Jeff said, clapping enthusiastically after Kurt and Blaine's duet.

"Yeah, who ever you are competing against won't stand a chance." Nick added.

Joe cleared his throat. "Well actually, I know who one of your competitors will be."

They all turned to look at him. He just shrugged. "My cousin texted me a little while ago. Her choir just won their regionals down in Texas. Their competition was delayed two weeks because of a fire at the hosting school."

"Which choir is she in?" Quinn asked.

"Choral Riff, from Austin."

"I've never heard of them," Rachel said.

"They're a first year choir. My cousin is their lead female soloist."

"Cool," Finn said.

Tina was yawning and leaning on Mike. "I think everyone should get some sleep," Ms. Pillsbury said, also stifling a yawn.

"Yes, hopefully Kurt's uncle will call with good news tomorrow morning." Mr Schue stood up and helped Brittany and Sugar to their feet.

…

It was afternoon when the call came in, and it wasn't good news.

"Dressler escaped," Armand announced. "But he left the country, so for now you all are safe. He's sending Tricia and Teddy and Nicolas and Jo down for extra protection until the rogue is caught."

"Damn," Kurt swore. "I hope they catch him before Nationals! It's only three weeks away!"


	24. Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the this final chapter, I introduce one last Glee character, Sue Sylvester reveals a secret of her own, and Marguerite reappears (sort of!) I'm super excited because in the most recent Argeneau book, Lynsay Sands announced some exciting news for Kurt's favorite Aunt!

The last few weeks of school before graduation were hectic for all of New Directions. Between cramming for finals, Glee rehearsals, keeping a weary eye out for Dressler, not to mention preparations for Cooper and Mary's wedding over the summer, Kurt felt like his life was spinning out of control. He had almost forgotten about his birthday until he got a delivery from Aunt Marguerite.

He smiled when he opened the box and found it filled with surprises for all of New Directions for when they went to Chicago. There were Visa gift cards and a new camera for everyone (including Tonio, who would be traveling with them as their mascot, and Nick and Jeff, who would be their cheerleaders, and Sugar, Joe and Dave, who would be joining their lifemates for the trip, not to mention the entourage of older immortals who would be traveling with them as a precaution in case Dressler showed up, or any other rogue for that matter,) tickets to Wrigley field the Friday afternoon before the competition (it was the annual crosstown rival series between the Cubs and the Sox,) and spa certificates. There were also Godiva chocolates and several other delicacies for him to share with the group.

There was also a note from the older immortal woman.

Darling Kurt,

I am sorry I shan't be able to journey to Chicago to visit with you and your friends, but I do have a very good excuse. I am pregnant! Julius won't let me travel until after the babe is born. But I did want to make certain you and your friends enjoyed their time in the Windy City. Bastian has already scheduled the planes for you all to travel to Midway, and Harper has made reservations for all of you at his hotel there, and has already spoken to your choir director about this.

Enjoy your time in Chicago, and have a wonderful birthday!

Love,

Aunt Marguerite

Kurt was happy for his aunt. After the life she had led, she was finally happy, and he couldn't wait to meet his new cousin.

They had a party for him later that afternoon at his house, and he shared the goodies his aunt had sent, and happily shared the other gifts she had sent them as well. The boys of course were eagerly talking about the baseball game, while the girls were talking about the spa certificates. Artie was excitedly examining his new camera.

When the day came to leave for Chicago, they all arrived at the school at seven AM for the drive to the airport. Once again they were picked up by limos, although this time it took five of them to transport everyone, plus two vans for the luggage and Artie's chair.

When they reached the airport, this time in Akron instead of Columbus, they were divided between four Gulf Stream 150's, with Chad carrying Artie up the stairs. Alan sorted everyone between the planes, and introduced his twin brothers, Les and Luis, who would act as attendants on the other two planes. The flight was a short one, only thirty minutes, but they were still treated to a small meal in flight.

It was barely after nine when they reached their hotel. After checking in and stowing their luggage in their rooms (they were all pleasantly surprised to find that they either had rooms to themselves or shared a room with their lifemates,) they met up in the hotel lobby for their spa treatments.

Afterwards, they had a light lunch in the hotel restaurant, and then boarded the L to take them all to Wrigley for the game. Jeff was teased about the Kerry Wood jersey he was wearing. The blonde was a life long Cubs fan. They had fun, and the afternoon was surprisingly relaxing.

After a quick rehearsal that night, they went to bed. Saturday went by in a blur, but they were excited to see that they had placed in the top ten, along with Choral Riff and Vocal Adrenaline.

After the the first day of competition, Joe introduced them to his cousin. "Everyone, this is Marley. Marley, these are The New Directions and their crazy group of friends."

They all laughed and introduced themselves. Jake was the last one to approach her. Kurt wasn't sure if he should be shocked when the shy but talented immortal girl and the younger Puckerman wound up sitting alone in the auditorium and talking for an hour while everyone else from their respective choirs packed up and prepared to head back to their hotels.

"Looks like we have another lifemate pair," Blaine observed.

Joe smiled. "I'm thinking cousin Marley will be moving to Ohio over the summer."

…

Sunday morning was hectic as they ate breakfast at the hotel restaurant again, all of them excited to make it to the final round, but nervous about drawing the first spot.

They reached the venue early, as the girls still needed to do their hair and make up. Kurt helped out as best he could, but was grateful that Carol and Pam were there to help.

When they were announced, the girls (minus Rachel and Unique) took the stage first. They were dressed in 1940's style red dresses and military style hats. A jazzy tune began to play, and Santana and Brittany began to sing, with the other girls harmonizing along with them.

He was a famous trumpet man from out Chicago way  
He had a boogie style that no one else could play  
He was the top man at his craft  
But then his number came up and he was gone with the draft  
He's in the army now, a-blowin' reveille  
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B

They made him blow a bugle for his Uncle Sam  
It really brought him down because he couldn't jam  
The captain seemed to understand  
Because the next day the cap' went out and drafted a band  
And now the company jumps when he plays reveille  
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B

Mercedes picked up the lead on the next part, while Tina and Brittany tap danced around her, and Blaine joined them, playing bugle.

A-toot, a-toot, a-toot-diddelyada-toot  
He blows it eight-to-the-bar, in boogie rhythm  
He can't blow a note unless the bass and guitar is playin' with 'm  
He makes the company jump when he plays reveille  
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B

He was our boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B  
And when he plays boogie woogie bugle he was buzy as a "bzzz" bee  
And when he plays he makes the company jump eight-to-the-bar  
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B

Quinn, Lauren, and Stephanie led on the next part.

Toot-toot-toot, toot-diddelyada, toot-diddelyada  
Toot, toot, he blows it eight-to-the-bar  
He can't blow a note if the bass and guitar isn't with 'I'm  
A-a-a-and the company jumps when he plays reveille  
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B

He puts the boys asleep with boogie every night  
And wakes 'em up the same way in the early bright  
They clap their hands and stamp their feet  
Because they know how he plays when someone gives him a beat  
He really breaks it up when he plays reveille  
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B

Tina and Brittany, still tap dancing away, sang the next verse.

He puts the boys asleep with boogie every night  
And wakes 'em up the same way in the early bright  
They clap their hands and stamp their feet  
Because they know how he plays when someone gives him a beat  
He really breaks it up when he plays reveille  
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B

They all sang the last verse, with Mercedes taking the last line.

Da-doo-da da-doo-da-da da  
Da-doo-da da-doo-da-da da  
Da-doo-da da-doo-da-da da  
Da-doo-da da-doo-da-da  
A-a-a-and the company jumps when he plays reveille  
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B!

The crowd clapped enthusiastically for the girls, who took their bows and quickly exited the stage. Once they settled down, a single spotlight lit the stage, and Rachel emerged from the back, slowly making her way forward into the light as she sang. She wore the same red dress as the other girls, but not the hat

People,  
People who need people  
Are the luckiest people in the world  
Were children needing other children  
And yet letting our grown-up pride  
Hide all the need inside  
Acting more like children than children  
Lovers  
Are very special people  
They're the luckiest people in the world  
With one person,  
One very special person  
A feeling deep in your soul  
Says you are half now you're whole  
No more hunger and thirst  
But first be a person who needs people  
People, people who need people  
Are the luckiest people in the world

With one person  
One very special person  
A feeling deep in your soul  
Says you are half now you're whole  
No more hunger and thirst  
But first be a person who needs people  
People, people who need people  
Are the luckiest people in the world.

Again, the audience was enraptured with the song, and gave her a standing ovation. Next it was Kurt and Blaine's turn to take the stage, they wore brightly colored military style jackets as trumpets and trombones played the introduction to their song.

(Blaine, Kurt,Both)

Love, love, love

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah  
Love, love, love

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah  
Love, love, love

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah

There's nothing you can do that can't be done  
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung

You think you've lost your love  
Well, I saw her yesterday-yi-yay

Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game  
It's easy  
Nothing you can make that can't be made

It's you she's thinking of  
And she told me what to say-yi-yay

No one you can save that can't be saved  
Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time  
It's easy

She says she loves you  
And you know that can't be bad

All you need is love, all you need is love

Yes, she loves you  
And you know you should be glad

All you need is love, love, love is all you need

She said you hurt her so  
She almost lost her mind

All you need is love  
All you need is love, love, love is all you need

And now she says she knows  
You're not the hurting kind

There's nothing you can know that isn't known  
Nothing you can see that isn't shown  
There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be  
It's easy

She says she loves you  
And you know that can't be bad  
Yes, she loves you  
And you know you should be glad

All you need is love, all you need is love  
All you need is love, love, love is all you need  
All you need is love  
All you need is love  
All you need is love, love, love is all you need

Love is all you need  
Love is all you need  
Love is all you need  
Love is all you need  
Love is all you need

Oo, she loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah  
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah  
With a love like that  
You know you should be glad

Love is all you need  
Love is all you need  
Love is all you need  
Love is all you need  
Love is all you need  
Love is all you need

Yesterday  
Oh yeah  
She love you, yeah, yeah, yeah  
She love you, yeah, yeah, yeah

Once more the crowd was on their feet. Next up, Unique took the stage with Sam, Rory Puck, Finn, Mike and Jake, along with all the girls. The boys wore black jeans and black button downs with a red tie. Unique wore a red dress like the other girls. A disco beat filled the arena as they began to dance. Unique led off with the rest of them harmonizing.

Girl, to be with you is my favorite thing, yeah  
Uh huh  
And I can't wait til I see you again,  
Yeah, yeah, ah ha ah ha  
I want to put on my my my my my  
Boogie shoes  
Just to boogie with you, yeah  
I want to put on my my my my my  
Boogie shoes just to boogie with you, uh huh

Kurt, Blaine (after changing into the same outfit as the other boys) and Artie joined them on stage, and they all sang together.

I want to it it 'til the sun comes up  
Uh huh, and I want to do it 'til  
I can't get enough, yeah, yeah  
I want to put on my my my my my  
Boogie shoes  
Just to boogie with you,  
I want to put on my my my my my  
Boogie shoes just to boogie with you

Unique once again took the lead for the last verse.

Oh yeah, boogie down boogie down  
I want to put on my my my my my  
Boogie shoes  
Just to boogie, with you, yeah  
I want to put on my my my my my  
Boogie shoes just to boogie with you, yeah  
I want to put on my my my my my  
Boogie shoes just to boogie with you, yeah  
I want to put on my my my my my  
Boogie shoes just to boogie with you,  
I want to put on my my my my my  
Boogie shoes just to boogie with you, yeah

They were all breathing hard as the audience cheered loudly once more. They took their places for their final number.

Finn:  
Well, I remember every little thing  
As if it happened only yesterday  
Parking by the lake  
And there was not another car in sight  
And I never had a girl  
Looking any better than you did  
And all the kids at school  
They were wishing they were me that night

Puck with New Directions:  
And now our bodies are oh-so close and tight  
It never felt so good, it never felt so right

Kurt and Blaine:  
And we're glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife  
Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife

Blaine (Mike):  
Come on (Hold tight)  
Oh, come on (Hold tight)

Brittany and Santana with New Directions:  
Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night

Blaine and Kurt with New Directions:  
I can see paradise by the dashboard light

Finn (with New Directions):  
Though it's cold and lonely in the (deep dark) (and Mercedes with New Directions: night)

Mercedes with New Directions:  
In the deep dark night

Finn (and Mercedes with New Directions):  
Paradise by the (dashboard light)

Finn and Puck:  
We're gonna go all the way tonight  
We're gonna go all the way  
And tonight's the night

Blaine, Finn, and Puck:  
We're gonna go all the way tonight  
We're gonna go all the way  
And tonight's the night

Blaine, Brittany, Finn, Puck, and Santana:  
We're gonna go all the way tonight  
We're gonna go all the way  
And tonight's the night

Blaine, Brittany, Finn, Mercedes, Puck, and Santana with New Directions:  
We're gonna go all the way tonight  
We're gonna go all the way  
And tonight's the night

Rachel:  
(Mercedes: Night!)  
Stop right there  
I gotta know right now  
Before we go any further  
Do you love me?  
Will you love me forever?  
Do you need me?  
Will you never leave me?  
Will you make me so happy  
For the rest of my life?  
Will you take me away  
And will you make me your wife?

Finn (New Direction Girls):  
Let me sleep on it (Sleep on it)  
Baby, baby let me sleep on it (Sleep on it)  
Let me sleep on it (Oooooh, oooooh)  
And I'll give you an answer in the (with the New Directions Girls: morning)

Rachel (New Directions):  
I gotta know right now  
Do you love me? (Do you, do you love me?)  
Will you love me forever?  
Do you need me? (Do you, do you need me?)  
Will you never leave me?  
Will you make me so happy (Will you never leave me)  
For the rest of my life?  
Will you take me away (Do you, do you, do you)  
And will you make me your wife?  
(with New Directions: Uh, do you love me?)  
Will you love me forever?

Finn with New Directions Boys:  
Let me sleep on it

Rachel with New Directions Girls:  
Will you love me forever?

Finn with New Directions Boys:  
Let me sleep on it

Rachel with New Directions Girls:  
Will you love me forever?

Finn (with New Directions):  
I couldn't take it any longer  
Lord, I was crazed  
And when the feeling came upon me  
Like a tidal wave  
I started (swearing to my god)  
And on my (mother's) grave  
That I would (love you to the end of time)  
I swore I would (love you to the end of time)

New Directions:  
Ah, ah, ah

Finn with New Directions:  
So now I'm praying for the end of time  
To hurry up and arrive  
'Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you  
I don't think that I can really survive

I'll never break my promise or forget my vow  
(Finn: But God only knows what I can do right now)  
I'm praying for the end of time  
It's all that I can do (Mercedes: All that I can do)  
Prayin' for the end of time  
So I can end my time with you! (Mercedes: You, yeah)

Finn with New Directions (Rachel):  
It was long ago and it was far away (It never felt so good, It never felt so right)  
And it was so much better than it is today. (Mercedes: Better than it is today) (And we were glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife)  
It was long ago and it was far away (It never felt so good, It never felt so right)  
And it was so much better than it is today. (Mercedes: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) (And we were glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife)  
It was long ago and it was far away (It never felt so good, It never felt so right)  
And it was so much better than it is today. (Mercedes: Long ago, oh) (And we were glowing like the metal)

Finn and Rachel with New Directions:  
Felt so right  
Felt so good  
Paradise (Mercedes: Ooh, yeah)

Thunderous applauds filled the auditorium and rang from the rafters. They all hugged each other tightly and took their bows as the cheering went on and on. They new they had set the bar so high, the other teams should just give up.

…

Walking in to McKinley on Monday with the first place trophy felt awesome. For the first time ever, even the jocks had to respect them as they were greeted with cheers and applause.

The last five days of school before graduation were filled with assemblies and celebrations. Will Schuester won Teacher of The Year, and they sang We are the Champions at the presentation.

The day of graduation arrived, and Kurt and Rachel were nervous. Each of them had received a letter for NYADA that morning. Neither of them wanted to open them alone, so had agreed to open them together with their boyfriends.

"Are you ready?" Rachel asked.

Kurt took a deep breath, and nodded. "On the count of three. One, two, three!"

They both ripped open the envelopes and pulled out the letters. Kurt read his twice, in shock. Rachel began screaming.

"I got in! I got in!" She hugged Kurt who was still just standing there holding his letter.

"Kurt?" Finn asked.

"I got in..." He barely whispered loud enough to be heard. Blaine whooped and hugged him.

"You got in! Way to go, Babe! I'm so proud of you!"

…

Later that afternoon, Kurt was finishing cleaning out his locker when a voice shouted down the hallway.

"Porcelain, my office, now!"

Kurt sighed, stuffing the last couple of items into his bag, and walked down the hall, wondering what Sue Sylvester had to say.

"Sit down," she instructed, and he did. "You know, I remember the first day you walked into this school with your pale features and chubby cheeks and that bowl cut that made you look like Ralphie Parker. I knew the moment I laid eyes on you that I'd have to watch over you. You made my list, you know."

Kurt had no idea what she was talking about.

"Did I ever tell you my parents were famous Nazi Hunters? They made quite the name for themselves, but they always talked about this one hunter in reverent awe. She wasn't actually a Nazi hunter, though. She was a liberator. She went into the camps and freed as many prisoners as she could"

Kurt swallowed. She couldn't be talking about who he thought she was.

"They called her the Silver Streak, because she would get in and out and no one would remember seeing her. My parents and I actually got to meet her once. She took a picture with my sister and me."

She passed him a framed photograph he had never noticed before. The picture had to have been taken in the late sixties, or early seventies. Two young girls sat on a bench beside a woman who appeared to be in her mid to late twenties. The picture quality wasn't the greatest, but her blue, green, grey eyes shone out at him with their streaks of silver.

"Your mother was an amazing woman. And her son ain't half bad himself."

"You've known the entire time?" He finally managed to ask.

She nodded, and indicated the small refrigerator in the corner. "I've kept a small supply of blood on hand, just in case an emergency arose. I would have offered some to your pal Stephanie when Azimio broke her nose last semester, but she and that chocolate covered Diva handled it just fine."

Kurt didn't know what to say to that. "So, why are you telling me this now?"

She gave him a genuine smile for the first time he could recall. "So that you know that I'll be here to take care of your other friends next year. Stephanie, Rory, and that Unique kid, and any other of your kind that might show up out of the blue. I'll make sure they are protected, and that no one else discovers their secretes."

Kurt smiled at her. "Thank you, Coach Sylvester. I really do appreciate that."

"Now get out of here. You're going to be late for graduation."

They shook hands, and parted ways for the last time.

"Oh, and one more thing, Porcelain," She called out. "Tell Lucian I said hello. What a shame that hunk of male flesh went and got himself a lifemate!"


End file.
